


Inseparable

by eddiesgazebos



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 23:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14412717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiesgazebos/pseuds/eddiesgazebos
Summary: They say you should never date a good friend. Why? Because if your relationship ends badly, you will more than likely lose that good friend. Richie and his best friend Eddie took that risk when they became an official couple. But what happens when sudden change erupts into their relationship? The two who would travel to the ends of the world for each other are put up to the test. Unfortunately, Eddie knew there was no such thing as fairy tales...Right? || Completed!





	1. Chapter 1

Eddie ran his fingers through his hair slowly as his eyes glanced over the worksheets that sat in front of him. His lips pressed to the side while he tapped a pencil against the desk gently... POP!..Eddie tilted his head toward the noise, trying to shield his ear and keep his focus.

"If x equals that, then-.." POP! Eddie let out a loud groan as he snapped his body around in the chair to face the tall lanky boy sprawled across his bed. "Richie, I swear to god, if you don't stop popping that gum I will literally strangle you with it!" The boy hissed, causing Richie's eyes to widen with a loud laugh to follow. Eddie rolled his eyes and turned back to the desk where he read the same problem over again for the third time.

"Come on Eds. It's Friday, you have all weekend to do that shit" Richie sat up on the edge of the bed closest to Eddie. "Let's go out and do something. I bet the others are out having fun right now"

"Then go be with them" Eddie snapped, his fingers gripping his pencil more firmly. "This stupid assignment is like half of my grade, Richie. I need to get this done"

"It's Fri-"

"Shut up! Please!" the boys fell silent and Richie frowned slightly. Guilt filled the pit of Eddie's stomach automatically. He set his pencil down and stood up from the chair. He turned to Richie and walked over to sit beside him. Richie watched him with a slightly confused expression of the boy's switch of moods. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm stressed, I really shouldn't take that out on you" Eddie moved his hand gently to cup Richie's cheek.

"I'm sorry too" Richie sighed and pressed his lips against Eddie's forehead softly. "Get your work and come over here" he pulled away to move up to the head of the bed where he rested his back against the headboard. He spread his legs to leave enough room for Eddie between then and waited. Eddie did as he was told. He grabbed the textbook, his papers, and his pencil then crawled up to Richie. He sat so Richie's long legs were on each side of him, his back to the taller kid.

Richie reached forward and squeezed Eddie's shoulders gently, smirking as Eddie let out a happy sigh. Eddie went back to doing his work while Richie gave him a gentle massage and hummed a melody that he formed in his head. He loved when Eddie would read out loud to himself. The reason was kind of unknown. It was just cute to him and the beat of his pencil tapping mixed well with his melody.

It took Eddie a while, but when he finally finished that last problem, he dropped his pencil and let out a relieved sigh. Richie had stopped his massage about a half an hour beforehand due to falling asleep against Eddie's back with his head on the boy's shoulder and his arms tight around his waist. Eddie carefully turned his head to kiss Richie's.

"Richie" he talked softly, gently playing with his hair on the opposite side of his head. "Baby?"

"Hm," he barely mumbled his reply. He inhaled sharply and barely peeked his eyes open to look directly into Eddie's. "Shit. Sorry" he grumbled as he tried to lift his head from Eddie's shoulder. Eddie wasn't having it though. He tightened his fingers in his boyfriend's hair.

"Don't go" Eddie whined playfully, planting soft kisses over Richie's cheeks. Richie chuckled and drifted his lips over the small shoulder under his face, leaving a trail of soft kisses to Eddie's soft jaw. Eddie's smile only grew as he lowered his hands to hold Richie's. "I'm done my assignments"

"Finally" Richie's laugh was low but it still made Eddie roll his eyes. His smile didn't disappear though which was a good sign. "What do we do now?" He asked, tracing little hearts on Eddie's side with his finger.

"Whatever you'd like" Eddie's cheeks started to turn pink as he felt the gentle tracings on his side. "We can stay in or we can go out. I don't mind either choice"

"Feeling kind of lazy" Richie mumbled, resting his head against Eddie's shoulder again. "But I don't want to bore you"

"You? Bore me? No, never" Eddie's soft voice was like ballad music to Richie's ears. Not the shitty new stuff, but the old beautiful tunes that could put you to sleep. The songs that could make the deepest feelings in the darkest areas of your mind come forward. Those tunes.

"Hm, well, I say we cuddle and watch a movie then until you have to go home" Richie slowly reached around to brush a strand of hair back from Eddie's face. Eddie's crooked smile only widened as he slowly nodded.

"Sounds perfect. What will we watch?"

Eddie woke up to the sound of his watch beeping at him. Richie's long arms were still wrapped around his small frame and kept him close and protected. Eddie groaned softly and lifted his wrist to look at the watch. '7:05 P.M' stared back at him. He sighed heavily and tried to unravel Richie's limbs from his body without waking him. Unfortunately, he had failed.

"What? What's wrong?" Richie quickly sat up, his eyes shooting around the room. He then groaned and ran his hand over his face tiredly. "Dammit, you have to go don't you?" Eddie nodded as he packed his things back into his backpack. "I don't want you to!" Richie let out a pitiful whine as he flopped over onto the bed, laying perfectly on his back right beside where Eddie was gathering his things.

"Oh, hush. We can hang out tomorrow" Eddie smiled, looking down at the upside down face. "Anyway, I can't stand your snoring" he teased.

"I don't snore" Richie mumbled, his bottom lip poking out into a pout.

"Sure you don't" Eddie laughed and leaned over to kiss Richie's pouty lips. "Walking me home?"

"Duh," Richie wormed his body around so his legs were off the side of the bed then pushed himself up from the mattress. During this, Eddie had already removed his pill box and took his medicine. He swallowed it down with water, his eyes never leaving Richie. "Can't have you walking those streets by yourself, can we?" 

"I hate that you have to come back by yourself though" Eddie sighed softly once he lowered the bottle. "You know, with Bowers out there"

"Hey, don't you worry about me. I am basically superman" this got Eddie to laugh which added a grin to Richie's face.

"Superman? Really?"

"Hey, you've never seen him and I in the same room have you?"

"Haven't seen you and Mickey Mouse in the same room either" Eddie rolled his eyes and took his taller kid's hand into his own. "Does this mean you're him too?"

"Ho! Ho! How did you know?" Richie talked in a high pitched Mickey Mouse tone. Eddie's laugh filled the room as his body hunched over.

"You're such a loser" Eddie spoke in between breaths as his laughs slowly stopped. He shoved the bottle of water into his backpack then zipped it up. Richie took it and hooked it over his own shoulder then lead Eddie out of his room then his house.

"You and me both" Richie chuckled, giving his boyfriend's hand a soft squeeze. "That's what makes us perfect"

"Perfect" Eddie repeated and rested his head against Richie's arm as they walked. "Perfect for each other"


	2. Chapter 2

With their fingers intertwined, the boys walked across the town toward Eddie's home. There was nothing but the gentle patter of sneakers scraping up against the concrete as the young couple walked down an empty sidewalk. With each step, Eddie's feet skillfully missed the cracks in the sidewalk while Richie's feet dragged over the rough surface. The wind caused the leaves to rustle with each gust. It was nights like this that reminded Richie why his buddy Stan loved nature so much.

The pastel colors of purple and pink shot across the sky as if they belonged to a careful artist. Though the darkness was slowly rising, every color seemed to burst and blend smoothly. Lights were turning on in the quiet homes they passed due to the sun setting.

Eddie's thumb moved back and forth along the side of Richie's hand. The contact between their skin was so light that it was barely noticeable. But Richie noticed well enough and loved the feeling. Richie carefully leaned over to press his lips against Eddie's head. His hair smelled like sweet vanilla even then, hours after washing it.

The silence between them wasn't usual but it was sweet. Not only was it because Richie wasn't using his obnoxious voices to get under Eddie's skin, but because their minds seemed to be in overdrive with passion at every little thing between them. It was a connection like this that Eddie always craved. The fact that he found it with his best friend was a true gift that he definitely cherished.

Once Eddie's house came into view, a chorus of sighs between the two fell from their lips. Eddie's grip tightened around Richie's hand which made his heartbreak. Richie knew how much Eddie hated being home. Almost, if not as much, as Richie hated being at his home. A frown tugged at his lips as he pulled Eddie's hand to them and pressed a soft kiss against the back of his hand.

"I'll make sure to come get you bright and early" Richie mumbled against his cold skin. Eddie just nodded at his statement. They stopped out front and turned to each other, their hands still holding firmly onto the others. 

"I wish you could just stay the night" Eddie spoke with a soft broken tone. Richie sighed gently and brushed his fingertips along the side of Eddie's face then through his hair. 

"Me too, but we can't risk your mom finding out about us. You know, she'd be super jealous that I'm dating you and not her" a grin formed on his face. Eddie pushed Richie away. The push forced Richie to move his foot back to catch himself. Eddie rolled his eyes but a grin formed on his face too. 

"I hate you sometimes" Eddie mumbled. Richie knew he didn't mean it though as he let go of Eddie's hand and gently placed his fingers under the boy's chin.

"Oh! Do you?" Richie teased. "That hurts my heart, truly"

"What heart?" Eddie teased right back.

"That's true, you stole it a long time ago" this forced Eddie's cheeks to turn crimson red.

"Shut up" Eddie's voice cracked into a gentle squeak which only amused Richie. 

"You know it's true, my little cupcake" Eddie groaned and rolled his eyes with a quick shake of his head. "Not into that nickname? I have a list, you know" Richie added.

"Well cross that one off" Eddie leaned up onto his toes to plant a kiss on Richie's lips. "And probably the rest of them too while you're at it"

"Fine, Eds" Richie chuckled and planted soft kisses over Eddie's whole face before he could argue over the name. Laughs escaped out of both of the boys before their realization soon came forward. Eddie had to go inside. "Alright. How about breakfast tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me" Eddie nodded and gave Richie a quick kiss and a firm hug. He took his backpack from Richie and smiled up at him. "I love you"

"I love you too" Richie watched as Eddie turned away and sped off into the house. He waited for the door to be closed then waited even longer for his bedroom light to flick on. It took a few minutes but once he saw the glow from Eddie's bedroom window, he turned around and walked toward home.

Eddie dropped his bag beside his bed and let his body collapse onto the red sheets that covered his bed. His eyes scanned the room while every muscle in his body slowly relaxed. When Richie wasn't around, it felt as though there was a dark void surrounding him. It was probably unhealthy for him to need Richie around so much but he couldn't help it. A pitiful groan escaped his lips as he rolled over onto his side and hugged the teddy bear that Richie had won for him at the last fair. He laid there for what felt like hours just hugging that bear. He would have stayed longer but his stomach grumbling was a reminder that his body needed food.

He slowly let go of the small stuffed animal and got up out of bed. He walked downstairs and turned toward the kitchen.

"Eddie sweetie?" Eddie's mother Sonia called from the living room. Eddie stifled a sigh as he took the few extra steps to the living room.

"Yes, mommy?" He talked softly, his eyes gazing across the room at the woman in a bright pink floral gown.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her eyes staring down at her nails as she filed them. 

"Getting something to eat"

"Sweetie, you haven't eaten?"

"No, I can get something for myself. Don't worry" 

"Don't be touching the stove, sweetheart. You know how dangerous it can be" he just nodded his head and turned back toward the kitchen. His eyes rolled back in annoyance as he walked around the corner and flicked on the light. He opened the fridge and ducked down to take a look inside.

Richie groaned loudly as he slammed the fridge door shut. His stomach begged for food but the kitchen hid anything good. He spun around and walked over to the pantry. He reached up to the third shelf without hesitation or a search. His hand grasped for the dark blue box of macaroni and cheese then lowered it down to his other hand.

"Oh yes! Mac and cheese again!" He sarcastically cheered to himself as he shut the pantry and studied the all too familiar box. "We're eating good tonight!" he tossed the box onto the counter which caused the noodles inside to crash into the cardboard. He then walked over to the cupboard and took out the dishes he'd need to cook it with. He gently pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his fingers and took the milk out of the fridge. "Got milk" he snorted at himself and walked toward the stove. He turned it on and cooked himself some dinner.

He sat down in the middle of his bed. He balanced the bowl of mac and cheese on his left knee while he leaned back and read a comic book from a series that he had already read about four times. Guns N' Roses played softly in the background while he tapped his fingers against his thigh to the beat subconsciously. He'd raise the mac and cheese to his mouth every few pages and eat it then return the utensil back to the bowl. His mind was completely gone. A snort with a laugh to follow would fill the room with the music here and there at the jokes, though he already knew they were coming.

When he was finished eating, he shoved the bowl over to the other side of the nightstand then stood up. He stripped down to his underwear and threw his clothes onto the floor with the rest of the clothes that he wore throughout the week.

"I really should do laundry" he mumbled to himself. He thought about it for a solid minute. "Nah" he waved his hand at the mess then walked over to his bathroom to brush his teeth quickly before bed.

As he crawled back into bed, his eyes stared out the window across the room. He stared at the stars with a soft smile on his face. His eyes moved over to the moon. He sighed softly and thought about Eddie as he stared at the crescent in the sky. They came up with a way to be together even when they were apart. All they had to do was remember they were still under the same sky. With that, they always did one last thing before they'd go to sleep. "Goodnight Eds" he whispered to the moon before he pulled the blankets up over his shoulder and set his glasses on the nightstand.

Eddie stood at his window - wearing a long red shirt that he stole from Richie months ago and red pajama pants - with his eyes gazing up at the stars and moon. "Goodnight Richie" he mumbled under his breath before he moved back to his bed and crawled into it.


	3. Chapter 3

Richie looked up at the Kaspbraks' home with a slight smirk tugging at his chilled lips. When he left his house, it was just past 4 A.M. The sun hadn't even come up yet. For him, sneaking out of the house really wasn't hard. He simply walked out the front door and left. He knew each time that nobody would realize it. If they did, they just didn't care.

Richie slowly walked over to the house to keep his steps quiet and scanned the wall for the familiar cracks and surfaces. Like a nimble spider, he quickly pulled himself up the wall. Once he was level with the window, he peeked in. The room was completely dark besides the small area by Eddie's bed where a night light was plugged into the wall. Richie grinned to himself softly and carefully slid the window up enough to squeeze into the room. He muffled his grunts as his stomach pressed against the wall. He grabbed onto the wooden desk that was just to the left of the window and used it to keep his balance as he pulled his legs into the room.

Once his whole body was finally inside, he carefully shut the window then looked over toward the bed where his sleeping boyfriend laid. He tip-toed over to the curled up boy and slowly crawled onto the bed beside him. He kicked his shoes off, knowing that Eddie would have a fit if he didn't, and laid down beside him. He then gently moved his arms around Eddie's small frame and pulled him against his chest.

Eddie shifted slightly and a tiny mumble made its way out of his mouth. Eddie's head slowly moved to rest up against Richie's chest and his body slowly curled up against him. Richie rubbed Eddie's back with his cold hands and kissed Eddie's forehead softly. He laid like that with him until the sun started to lighten the town and flood into the room.

Richie looked down at Eddie's sleeping face and gently traced his cheek with his fingertips. He then leaned down and left soft kisses across the sleeping boy's cheeks.

"Eds" he whispered softly. Nothing. He chuckled softly and left another trail of kisses down his cheek and to his lips. He pressed two kisses to his lips before he rested his forehead against Eddie's. "Hey, Eddie Spaghetti" again, nothing. Richie sighed softly and gave up. He laid his head down on the pillow and rested his hand against the boy's side.

"You give up too easily" Eddie muttered under his breath just a few minutes later. Richie raised his head to look at Eddie and slowly grinned. Eddie's eyes were still closed but he was obviously awake.

"When did you wake up?" Richie kept his voice soft to avoid being heard from outside of the room.

"When you kissed me. Like I was sleeping beauty or something" Eddie peeked his eyes open to look up at Richie. "Good morning"

"Morning, how dd you sleep?" Richie ran his fingers gently through Eddie's hair. His touch was relaxing and could have easily put Eddie back to sleep.

"Pretty good, how did you sleep?" Eddie moved his hand to Richie's chest and very gently gripped his shirt.

"Good, but I missed you"

"Oh shut up" Eddie blushed and slowly sat up. The blankets fell from his torso to expose Richie's shirt that he had slept in. Richie eyed it and a wide smile snapped into place.

"You sneaky thief" Richie chuckled softly. Eddie followed Richie's gaze down to his shirt and grinned also.

"You literally gave it to me" Eddie messed with the end of the shirt.

"To wear for one day. Not to permanently steal" Richie's eyes stayed on the shirt. His heart felt as though it was a puddle. Eddie wearing his clothes never got old and every time he saw it happen, warmth would overtake his body.

"Well, I'm not sorry" Eddie teased as he crawled over Richie to get to the other side of the bed. "Still on for breakfast today?"

"Of course" Richie moved his arms behind his head and watched as Eddie got out of bed and stretched out his muscles. "Unless your mom wants to go on a date instead"

"Do you have anything original? Or are you actually running out of shitty jokes?" Eddie walked over to his closet and rummaged through his neatly organized clothes. Richie chuckled and sat up on the edge of his bed.

"Saving the good ones for after breakfast" Richie stood up and walked up behind Eddie to throw his arms around the boy's waist. Eddie smiled wide and looked over his shoulder.

"I'm trying to get ready" he playfully elbowed Richie's stomach. Richie hunched over to protect his torso and quickly began to tickle Eddie's sides. Eddie erupted into hysterical laughter. They had truly forgotten they had to be quiet until rushed footsteps herded down the hall. Richie's hands snapped away from Eddie and Eddie quickly shoved Richie into his closet and closed it.

Richie grunted and fell against the wall, holding onto it to brace his unsteadiness. Just a second later, Sonia snapped the door open and looked around Eddie's room with a panicked expression.

"Eddie? Are you okay?" She asked with heavy breaths carrying the words.

"I'm fine mommy, I was just laughing" Eddie leaned against the closet door and forced a smile to cover his nervousness. "I remembered a funny joke"

Richie rolled his eyes. 'yeah, like you know what a good joke is' he thought to himself.

"Uh huh.." Sonia's eyes peered around the room as she listened to her son. Her eyes then snapped back to Eddie. "Well, Sweetie, don't forget to brush your teeth. Breakfast will be done in-"

"Oh no that's fine. I'm going out for breakfast" Eddie looked at his mom who looked surprised at the news.

"With who?" The woman asked, her eyebrows lowering with concern.

"Bill" he knew his friends weren't liked by his mother. But Bill was the one she seemed to hate the least. "We have a project" he added smoothly. "So we're getting breakfast then working on that"

Richie grinned from inside the closet as he listened to Eddie lie with ease.

"I suppose that's fine" she sounded unsure but couldn't stop her son from succeeding in school. "Take your medicine, sweetheart. Don't forget your inhaler"

"I know mom" Eddie replied before waving his hand at his mother. "Could you please shut the door? I'd like to get dressed" she nodded and backed out of the room. She shut the door. Eddie stayed completely silent for a few minutes until he heard her footsteps travel to the kitchen. Then he opened the closet door.

"About time" Richie mumbled as soon as the door opened. "Can't believe you made me return to the closet"

"It's your fault she came in, in the first place" Eddie hissed his reply. He then dropped to silence and slowly grinned as Richie's joke registered in his brain. "You're such an idiot" he reached in, gripped Richie's arm, and tugged him free from the closet. Richie started giggling.

"Look at me coming out of the closet" this got Eddie to giggling too. This time, they covered their mouths to muffle the noise. Eddie turned back to his clothes and grabbed the ones he had already picked out the night before. He turned back to Richie and raised an eyebrow. Richie just stared at the boy for a moment before he realized what Eddie wanted. "Gotcha" Richie turned away from him and walked back to the bed. He messed with the sheets to try and straighten them so Eddie wouldn't have to.

Eddie quickly got changed into the fresh clothes then dropped his dirty clothes into the hamper. When he was done, he walked over to Richie and wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"Aw, you're making the bed?" Eddie teased.

"Barely" Richie chuckled and turned in Eddie's arms to look down at him. "You're wearing that?" Eddie's eyebrow raised as he let go and took a step back.

"No Richie" he spoke with a harsh sarcastic tone. "I just put this on to wear it until I decided what I really wanted to wear. So then I can change again"

"Shut up" Richie waved his hands at Eddie who smirked proudly of himself.

"Well, don't ask stupid questions" Eddie walked toward the door and slowly opened it to peek out into the hall. "Going to brush my teeth" he whispered before he scurried out of the room. He closed the door behind him then walked to the bathroom. He brushed his hair, brushed his teeth, then flossed. He then rinsed his mouth with minty mouthwash and washed his hands. Just a few minutes and he returned to his bedroom.

He walked into the room to find Richie mumbling curses to himself. Eddie shut the door and cocked his head to the side curiously. "Something wrong?" Eddie asked

"How the fuck do you make the bed?" Richie asked with a whine pitching into his voice. He held the sheets in two firmly gripped fists. He demonstrated his struggle by tugging the bottom sheet to the closest side of the bed to him. Then he pulled the next and then the next until the blankets were all up. He then ran his hands over the material and groaned gently when the wrinkles wouldn't smooth.

"Move" Eddie walked over and bumped his hip against Richie to shoo him away. Richie gladly moved away from the mattress. Within seconds, Eddie had the bed looking perfect. Richie stared in shock. "See? Easy"

"You must be a magician" Richie rolled his eyes. "Are we ready to go?" Richie asked.

"Mhm, I'm going downstairs. I'll make sure mom doesn't look out the window. Get your butt out" Eddie shooed Richie toward the window and opened it for him. Richie pecked Eddie's lips before he climbed out. Eddie carefully shut the window then walked downstairs to say goodbye to his mother. He gave her a kiss on the cheek then hugged her until he saw Richie drop to the ground and run out of sight. It took two seconds for Eddie to take his medicine then dash out the door after him.

They met up a few houses down which was completely out of sight from any windows of the Kaspbrak home. Richie stood there with his arm already extended to hold Eddie's hand. Eddie gently held it and smiled up at Richie who was looking around at his surroundings.

"Alright, my little stud muffin, where the fuck do you want to eat?" Richie turned his attention to Eddie who's lips were slowly quivering into a smile.

"Cross that one off the list too, Richie. But I don't know, I thought you had something in mind" 

"The diner should be open by now. Want pancakes?"

"I'm fine with anything" with that, Richie gently pulled Eddie along the road toward the inner parts of town. Once they arrived, Richie opened the door and held it for Eddie to enter. The sweet fragrance of freshly grounded coffee and baked pastries filled their noses as they entered the diner. The boys took in a deep breath to get another whiff then both smiled wide.

Richie led the way over to an empty booth and sat down. Eddie, though he wanted to sit beside Richie, sat across from him instead. A few minutes after they sat, a tall waitress with long blonde hair walked over to the table and sat menus down in front of them.

"Hello, are there any drinks that I can get for you while you look the menu over?" the woman's voice sparkled with a cheery attitude. Richie looked at Eddie to get an answer.

"I'll just have chocolate milk please" Eddie opened his menu and scanned over it. Richie nodded at his choice.

"Orange juice please" Richie added. The waitress scribbled their orders down then nodded her head before she walked away from the table. Richie stared at the menu and looked over the choices. Eddie was more concerned about the prices and tried to find the cheaper options. 

Richie found his pick and looked up to see how Eddie was doing on his choices. He watched as his index finger slid down the page across the prices and shook his head. "Eddie, don't worry about the price. I got enough"

"I don't like having you pay a lot of money for me"

"I love it because I get to do something for you, Eds" Richie reached across the table and took Eddie's hand into his own. "Please, don't worry about the price" Eddie sighed and looked back down at the menu.

"Don't call me that" he mumbled as he read through the choices. "I think the pancakes here are good, aren't they?"

"The food here is always good" Richie responded, watching Eddie's face seem so focused on the reading. Eddie nodded slowly.

"I'm getting pancakes then" he closed the menu and set it to the side. 

"Want bacon with it?" Richie asked as he set his menu on top of Eddie's.

"No thanks," he shook his head and rested his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. The waitress returned to deliver their drinks and take the menus. Richie ordered their meals and watched the waitress as she left. The meals were done not too long after and she returned once again with their food.

They ate their meals in mostly silence. They were too busy making their mouths happy to even attempt a conversation. Richie spent more time gawking at Eddie though to watch his satisfied reactions to the amazing taste. Every expression Eddie formed was like art. Well, that is, until Eddie would get really angry with Richie. Then it was more like a horror movie, but a cute one.

When they were finally finished, both bodies sunk into the booths. Richie groaned softly with his hands over his stomach. Eddie giggled as he watched him.

"Eat too much?" Eddie asked, gently pushing his foot against Richie's shin.

"Little bit" Richie chuckled and lifted his foot to bump Eddie's. "Time to pay and blow this popsicle stand" Richie pulled out a small worn down wallet from his pants pocket and took the bills from the torn leather. He stared at the bill that was left on the table and counted the bills. 

"Where did you get all of that cash?" Eddie asked. It wasn't much but it was surely more than any of their friend group got from an allowance. Eddie knew Richie didn't get one though.

"Arcade money" Richie shrugged. "Mom gives it to me for a reason to get me out of the house. I just save it up to treat you to a meal" he smiled and set the money down on the table. The waitress returned to take it then the boys stood up.

"You ditched the arcade for me then pretty much?" Eddie was flattered and his face brightened.

"Anything for my boo bear" Richie teased. They walked out of the diner and held each other's hand again.

"Another one to cross off the list" Eddie groaned and showed a face of disgust. 

"That one's cute!" Richie practically yelled which made Eddie slap his hand gently over Richie's mouth. Richie pulled his face away and sighed dramatically. "Fine, guess it's crossed off" he mumbled. They walked down the street until they turned off the main road and made their way to the back roads.

What seemed to be a good idea slowly turned to a horrible one as the sound of a car and loud voices came from behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

"Just keep walking" Richie mumbled softly. Their hands instantly returned to their own personal space and their heads ducked down. Eddie stared over at Richie nervously while Richie kept a straight face.

"Hey! Look who we have here!" a familiar voice called from behind them. Eddie's jaw tightened and his fingers curled into fists. Richie's eyes stared straight at the ground but his focus was on the sounds of Eddie's footsteps. Both kids came to a halt as a dark blue Pontiac turned and came to a stop just in front of them. Their heads snapped up to stare at the boys getting out of the vehicle.

The Bowers Gang.

The revolting smell of alcohol reeked up the area. Richie moved his arm out to pull Eddie behind himself. His eyes stared straight through his glasses to the older guys who had evil smirks riding their faces.

"Look at these little flamers" Patrick laughed as his head tilted to the left. His tongue poked free from his mouth and slid along his lips before a grin appeared. "Where are you boys headin'?" Eddie and Richie stayed silent. Eddie's hands gripped tightly onto the back of Richie's shirt.

"Get 'em" Henry mumbled. Eddie quickly turned and grabbed onto Richie's arm. They took off running but their moves were easily guessed. Vic took a few long strides forward and reached out to grab the taller kid. Patrick's arms snapped around the shorter one and lifted the kid up by his waist. 

"Richie!" Eddie yelled, his eyes shooting around to keep his gaze on him. Richie kicked his feet roughly backward and reached back to grab at the face behind him. Vic moved his face just out of reach and shoved Richie down to the ground then placed his knee firmly in the middle of the kid's back. His glasses fell free from his face and tumbled across the hard ground.

Eddie gagged from the smell of alcohol that traveled from Patrick's body as he carried him toward the car. His body was thrown against the metal which caused a sharp breath to hitch in his throat. Patrick's hands pinned Eddie's body tight against the hot hood of the vehicle.

"Which one first" Henry smirked as he looked between the two.

"Leave us alone!" Richie grunted as his body tried to escape from Vic's pin. Henry just laughed and walked over to him. He knelt down and grabbed a fistful of his hair to force his head back.

"And why would we do that?" Henry took a knife from his pocket. He snapped the blade free and lightly rested it against Richie's pale cheek which caused the boy to freeze. He tried to keep his expression as blank as he could to hide any fear. He stared over at Eddie who was struggling to get free from under the lanky guy's grip. "Eyes on me, you fucking freak! Not your boyfriend!" Henry shifted to the side to block Richie's sight. Richie's eyes snapped up to Henry as he felt Vic get up from his back. Henry pulled Richie up from the ground by his hair.

"Fuck yourself!" Richie yelled as he spat in the older kid's face and threw his hands out to shove him away. Vic grabbed the kid again but Richie was quicker as he threw his elbow out and connected it to the bridge of Vic's nose. Vic fell back onto the ground as blood gushed down his face. 

Henry wiped his face with the back of his arm and grabbed Richie by the back of his shirt. With a tough pull, he forced the kid against the back of the car and connected his fist to Richie's cheek. Richie let out a painful grunt. Henry threw a second punch which caused the kid to fall weakly against the car and to the ground.

Henry looked over at Vic who was struggling to get to his knees with Belch's help. "Henry we gotta fucking go!" Belch yelled. Patrick, after Henry gave him a nod, dropped Eddie to the ground and gave a firm kick to his side to keep him down. Henry looked back down at Richie who looked slightly dazed and smirked to himself.

"Keep your disgusting queer bullshit out of my fucking town!" Henry spat at him before he returned to the car. With tears running down his cheeks, Eddie quickly dragged himself over to Richie and pulled him away from the car just in time for the Pontiac to back out into the road. The gang sped off, leaving the two boys alone and in pain.

"Eds?" Richie grumbled weakly toward the heavy breathing. His sight was blurry due to the loss of his glasses. Eddie, with heavy breaths, forced himself up onto his knees.

"I'm right here, you're okay" Eddie tried to keep the panic from his voice but his panic flooded every word along with unsteady breathing. "They're gone" he quickly grabbed Richie's glasses and cleaned them with the bottom of his shirt before he carefully placed them back onto Richie's face. Richie blinked a few times and winced as the frames made contact with the bruising side of his face. 

"Are you okay?" Richie looked Eddie over to check for any cuts or bruises. His hands were already unzipping Eddie's fanny pack to get his inhaler out from it.

"I'm fine" Eddie forced a smile as he stared at Richie's swelling face. He took the inhaler and used it quickly. "Oh god, look at you" the forced smile soon dropped along with his hand that held the inhaler.

"Shh. Now is not the time to express how sexy I am, Eds" Richie teased with a crooked grin and guided his hand back toward his mouth. Eddie glared at him but used the inhaler once more until his breathing was steady.

"Shut up! Your face! Oh my god, how bad does it hurt?" Eddie put the inhaler away, zipped the pack, then got a closer look at Richie's face.

"I'm not broken" he waved a hand at Eddie to back him up then gently ran his hand under his nose where blood slowly dripped. "Don't worry," his voice quieted as he noticed Eddie hunched to the side. He also noticed how he wouldn't touch his side with his arm. "Come here" he spoke calmly and Eddie fell for it. Eddie slowly moved closer on his knees. Richie carefully gripped the bottom of Eddie's shirt.

"Stop! Stop! I'm fine!" Eddie protested as he tried to shove Richie's hands away. Richie grabbed Eddie's hands brushed the shirt up. His pale skin had turned a deep red where Patrick had kicked him.

"Eddie, you're not fine" he pushed his shirt up further to see just how large the bruise was. "Look at you"

"Richie, you're way worse than I am!" 

"I don't have parents who will notice" Richie carefully ran his fingers around the bruise but was careful to not come into contact with it. Eddie stared down at the large dark colored mark and frowned.

"I'll keep it hidden" his voice fell to a defeated whisper. Richie frowned and let the thin material of his shirt drop before he pulled Eddie close. Eddie fell into Richie's chest and that's where the tears crashed hard. Eddie cried into Richie's chest for what seemed like hours. Really, only minutes passed, but Richie would have held him all night if he had to.

"We're alright, Eds" he swallowed hard. "We're safe now"

"No, we aren't. We're gay. We're never going to be safe" he mumbled as he hid his face into Richie's neck. His breathing was shaky and hitched everytime pain shot through his side.

"Don't talk like that" Richie moved his hand to Eddie's waist. "Don't ever talk like that"

"It's the truth, Richie. You know it is" 

Once their pain died down enough for movements to be less of a chore, they forced themselves to get up. Eddie had demanded they go back into town to get cleaned up but Richie knew as soon as they did, their time together would end. So with a little convincing, he finally got Eddie to agree and they walked the rest of the way to the quarry.

Eddie sat on a large rock to avoid being in the grass. Richie sat in the grass in front of him and laid his head back against Eddie's leg gently. While Eddie stared out at the water, Richie's eyes were glued to Eddie. He watched for any sign of pain but luckily, Eddie didn't show any.

The sound of peace relaxed the two. Richie could have fallen asleep there with his head on Eddie so easily if it wasn't for the protective nature in the pits of his mind over this kid. Eddie's eyes fell down to stare at his boyfriend and he was shocked as he realized that he had already been staring at him. Grins broke out on both of their faces.

"I love you my little marshmallow" Richie broke the silence between them. Eddie let out a soft laugh and shook his head. "Don't say it" Richie whined playfully.

"Cross it" Eddie chuckled and leaned down to lightly kiss the bruised boy's head. "But I love you too"

"You really like to ruin my life, don't you Eds?"

"For the billionth time, don't call me that!" Eddie groaned. "I'm about to shove you into the water"

"Oh baby, get me wet"

"Gross, you're not fucking funny" Eddie's face turned up with disgust while Richie snorted at himself. 

"You're right, I'm hilarious!"

They spent just over an hour at the quarry. They talked about this and that while sitting together under the bright sun. They walked back to town and went straight to Richie's place where they ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were gone again by the time Richie's parents returned home.

They avoided leaving the busy part of town due to the fact they'd both be targets for what happened to Vic. After wandering around the area a few times, they finally decided the arcade would probably be the most fun of their choices. Anyway, Eddie knew how happy that place made Richie.

They played as many games as they could until they ran out of money. Then they left and walked to the park to just sit together and relax after their long day.

"Hey, Eds?" Richie asked. He laid across a bench with his head in Eddie's lap. He was busy playing with Eddie's fingers while Eddie's other hand was busy playing with Richie's hair.

"Yeah?" Eddie shifted his gaze to Richie's face.

"What kind of house would you want to live in?" He asked, his eyes glancing up at Eddie's face for just a second before they returned staring at Eddie's fingers.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when we get older"

"Oh," Eddie paused for a moment. "Well, a small two-story house would be nice. Nothing too fancy" 

"Can we have a pool?" Eddie chuckled at Richie's question.

"Sure" he twirled a strand of Richie's hair around his finger.

"How about a bonfire pit?"

"Sure"

Richie grinned to himself. "How about a sex dungeon?" A large grin spread over his face. Without a word, Eddie's hands moved to Richie's side and shoved him off from the bench and onto the ground. With a THUD, Richie landed on his hands and knees.

"You're disgusting" Eddie rolled his eyes and turned sideways to look behind the bench and across the park. Richie laughed and pulled himself back up onto the bench behind Eddie. He wrapped his arms around the boy and rested his head gently against Eddie's shoulder blades. 

"You love me though" he teased softly.

"Always will"

After he walked his boyfriend home that night, Richie walked home. He listened to the two oblivious voices coming from the living room. He ignored them as he walked past the doorway to head to his own room. But he stopped when he heard his father's voice call his name.

"What?" Richie called back, his foot on the bottom step of the staircase. 

"Come in here" the man replied simply. Richie sighed heavily, turned back around and walked into the living room. 

"Yeah?" He looked at the two adults then around the room where a few dozen boxes sat around.

"Good news kid. I've been offered a better paying job" Wentworth's proud smile flashed and Richie gulped. "We're moving to Massachusetts!" 

"What?" Richie asked as disbelief flooded his brain and made his body shiver.

"Yup!" His mother smiled and looked up at her husband. "I'm so proud of you" 

"So start packing kid" his father added then paused for a moment. "What happened to your face, Kiddo?" he finally noticed the large bruise around his son's eye and cheek. Richie just shook his head and backed out of the doorway then ran off to his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Richie fell back onto his mattress and stared at the ceiling with wide blank eyes. The temperature in his room was chilly. His chest felt tight while his stomach felt knotted. His fingers were like ice and the rest of his body was tense. His mind was like a carousel and he just wanted to get off the sickening ride. The lump in his throat began to physically hurt as tears forced their escape through his eyes. He tried to battle them away with quick blinks but the tears won the war and poured from his eyes.

How could he move? What would happen to his friends? What about Eddie?

Richie clenched his jaw and punched the mattress underneath him. "This isn't fair" he mumbled to himself. His low voice cracked and the pain in his throat only worsened. He had to see Eddie. He had to tell him, but really, how could he? He knew it would break his heart and he couldn't be the reason for his heart to break.

He rolled over onto his side and curled up into a ball. He pulled his pillow close and pulled his glasses free from his face. He shoved his face into the soft material and let his tears stain the cloth. He dug his short nails into the mattress and every muscle in his body tightened even more.

He couldn't leave Derry.

 

Eddie sighed heavily as he tossed his shirt into the hamper then stood in front of his mirror. The skin on his side had turned into a dark purple contrasted with crimson red. He nervously grazed his teeth over his bottom lip. He grabbed the ice pack that he had brought to his room from the kitchen without his mom knowing and walked over to his bed. He laid down on his painless side and carefully set the ice pack over the bruise to lessen the swelling. He winced but was able to adjust to the discomfort pretty easily within just a few minutes.

His mother had just gone to bed which comforted his nervousness of being caught with such a horrendous looking mark on his body. But a nagging voice in the back of his mind continued to tell him that he'd be caught either way. He waited until the ice pack had gone warm before he hid it under his bed, hidden directly up against the mattress with a cloth, for the night. He sat up and pulled on a large shirt then laid back down and covered himself with his blankets. He was asleep just minutes later.

Soft kisses, his warm embrace, and the soft sound of a gentle ballad in the background. There the lovers sat out back of their two-story home beside the pool. Richie held a bottle of coca-cola in one hand while his other hand played lazily with Eddie's hair. Eddie laid on top of him on that rainbow lounge chair and everything just felt so right.

"I love you Eds" his voice fell from his lips like a beautiful song.

"I love you too"

 

Richie watched as a smile formed on Eddie's sleeping face. He lightly trailed his fingertips over the boy's cheek and pressed his lips against his forehead. The sun had already come up and brightened the room. The alarm clock showed that the time was just past ten a.m. He knew he had to get going over to his friend Stan's place but he just wanted to see his boyfriend's face before he did so.

Richie sighed softly and got out of Eddie's bed and walked over to the desk. He ripped a blank piece of paper from the boy's notebook and grabbed a marker. He looked at Eddie once more. He then removed the cap from the marker and leaned over the desk.

"Morning Eddie Spaghetti, you look beautiful when you sleep. I'll be at Stan's all day but I will miss you and see you later. We need to talk" he read his note over once before he replaced the cap and set the marker down. He walked over toward the bed and placed the piece of paper on the nightstand. He looked over at Eddie again before he crawled back out the window and left the Kaspbrak residence.

 

"Wait, you're actually moving?" Stan stared across the room at Richie with slightly widened eyes. His jaw fell with shock and his eyebrows were slightly raised. Richie just nodded his head then looked out the window that he sat in front of. "Have you told-" Richie shook his head no before Stan could even finish his sentence. "You know you're going to have to"

"I know, Stan" Richie mumbled and looked over at him. His eyes were filled with pain and the added pain in his throat seemed to worsen. "I just don't know how, really"

"It's going to be hard, Richie. Won't lie to you"

"Thanks, Einstein. Where would I fucking be without that knowledge?" Richie snapped then after a few seconds of realization, he frowned and stared down at his hands. "Sorry"

"Long distance relationships are possible, you know" He completely ignored the harshness of Richie's voice. He understood. Stan walked over to Richie when the tea had finished and poured some into his mug. "Just takes effort"

"I can't be away from him. I'll go crazy, Stan. I need him" Richie watched the liquid fall into his mug. "He may not need me but I need him"

"He needs you, Richie" Stan frowned and poured himself some tea then set the kettle back onto the stove. He then sat across from him. "He loves you so much. It's so easy to see"

"Yeah, well let's see how he feels after I break his fucking heart"

"It's not your fault"

"No, but I'm the one leaving him. My parents aren't abandoning anybody. It's me who has to abandon all of you. My fucking fake family is pulling me away from the only real family I've ever had" his voice finally broke and the tears made their appearance. He hated crying in front of people. Stan knew that and acted as though it wasn't happening. "It'll kill me, Stan"

"Don't talk like that" Stan reached a hand across the table and rested his palm over the back of Richie's hand. "We're all here for you"

"And I can't be here for you" Richie mumbled and moved his glasses up to rub his good eye with the back of his hand. He winced as the frame of his glasses rubbed against the bruise. "I can't be here for Eddie"

 

Eddie woke up around noon to the sound of hurried knocks on his bedroom door. He groaned softly and looked around the brightened room. His sleeping body sat up slowly.

"Yeah?" He called through the door. His voice cracked.

"Sweetheart, are you feeling okay? You have slept most of the day away!" Sonia's worried voice called back through the wooden door.

"I'm fine Mom! Just felt good to sleep in" Eddie called back. He was quickly reminded to take his medicine before her footsteps left his door. He moved his legs out from under the blankets and over the edge of the bed. He stretched out his tired limbs and looked at the paper that sat on the nightstand. He picked it up and read it. A smile grew until he read the very last words. 'we need to talk'

He frowned slightly and stood up to get his medicine. He read the note over a few times and shook his head. His anxiety shot through the roof due to all of the possibilities this single note held. He thought about the day before and went over every single thing that happened. What if Richie blamed him for what happened? What if he blamed himself? He sighed and pushed the ideas to the back of his mind as he opened his water bottle and chugged a few gulps to wash his pills down.

He set the half-empty bottle down onto the desk and stood by his window. He gazed out at the empty road and nervously tapped his fingertips against the edge of the desk.

"He's mad at me" he mumbled to himself. "He has to be" he squinted his eyes as he looked up at the sky. "That can't be right though. Why would he come all the way here and be sweet in the note if he was?" He ran his fingers along his jawline and sucked his bottom lip in. He bit the fragile skin gently then released it and turned away from the window. "He'll see me later, it'll be okay"

 

"Just pretend I'm Eddie" Stan sat in a chair and looked up at Richie who had been pacing for the past ten minutes.

"He's prettier than you are, Stan. How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" Richie was half joking, though in his eyes it was the truth. Eddie was the most beautiful creation on this earth. Stan rolled his eyes as he sipped his tea then set the mug back down. He tapped his fingertips gently against the warm ceramic.

"Use your imagination, Trashmouth" Stan's voice was harsh but both boys were quite used to that. Richie sighed heavily and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose carefully. He stopped pacing and stood there facing Stan. His hands were shaky and by the way his body swayed, Stan could tell that Richie's knees were weak.

"Eds, I-" he stopped. Stan stared at Richie silently and motioned for him to continue. "No, the pause needs to be there. He will yell at me for calling him Eds"

"Right," Stan mumbled and slowly raised the mug back up to his lips.

"I have to tell you something. This isn't easy for me and I'm really, really..." he paused. "really sorry" Stan stayed silent but a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. "My parents told me last night that we're moving. If I had the choice, you know I'd stay but, I-" his voice broke and his stare dropped to the floor. He held onto the back of the chair he was once sitting in. "I can't fucking do this!" He broke. He hid his face in his arms and cried.

Stan quickly got up to his feet and walked over to Richie. He placed his palm on Richie's back and moved it in small circular motions. Richie's cries got louder and he turned to face Stan and pulled him into a hug. Stan held him until he could compose himself. But even Stan had tears falling from his eyes.

 

Around nine o'clock, Eddie was really getting antsy. He hated not knowing. He hated not having Richie by his side. At this point, he was hating the world. But luckily, his boyfriend saved the day. Just minutes after nine, Richie's face appeared outside his window. When Eddie made eye contact, Richie wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at the obviously worried boy.

Eddie rushed over and threw the window open. His arms wrapped around Richie and basically pulled the lanky kid into his room. Richie muffled his grunts against Eddie's shoulder and quickly moved his feet to catch his balance so both of them wouldn't fall to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Richie asked gently. He looked down at Eddie who had his face buried into Richie's chest.

"I don't know" Eddie mumbled. "Your stupid note had me thinking the worst. What's up? Are we okay?" Eddie's voice came out quick. Richie carefully pulled away from Eddie's hold to shut the window then they both moved to the bed.

"We're fine, Eds. But there is something serious we need to talk about" Richie hoped his tears had run dry at Stan's place. He spent more than half of his time there just bawling against Stan. But the tightness in his throat hadn't left and that's what scared him.

"What is it?" Eddie asked as he sat beside him. He carefully ran his fingers through Richie's hair to fix it. Richie let him and took a deep breath. He turned toward Eddie and stared into his eyes.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do. Richie, what is this about?"

"Just-... Bare with me alright? I love you more than anything. I love you with all of my heart and I honestly never thought I'd find someone who could make me feel that way" Richie watched as a light smile spread over Eddie's face but he could see the worry deep in his eyes. "I love you and I want to be with you forever"

"Wait, are you proposing to me right now?" Eddie's eyebrows lowered and a slight laugh escaped his lips. Richie rolled his eyes and pushed Eddie away gently. But a grin formed on his face too.

"Can't a guy be cute without trying to propose? For fuck's sake, Eddie. You ruined the moment" Richie laughed gently.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Continue" Eddie sat back up and smiled at Richie. Richie stared back at Eddie with the smile on his face. He noticed the happy spark in his eye and just shook his head slightly.

"That's it" Richie shrugged his shoulders. His mind was screaming at him for lying but he knew his news would take this happy Eddie away. He couldn't stand to see this smile fade. He couldn't watch his happiness crumble away to darkness. He wouldn't be only breaking Eddie's heart, he'd be breaking his own too.

"Wait, what? Your note said we needed to talk" Eddie lifted the note and pointed at the words printed on the paper.

"I don't tell you I love you enough. That's all" Richie leaned over and pecked Eddie's lips. Eddie felt uneasy about the idea but he nodded slowly.

"Well, I love you too" Eddie replied softly. His stomach felt tight and he knew something wasn't right. "You're sure that's all?"

"I'm sure, Eds. I'm sure" he smiled and pulled the boy close. He held him tight against his own body and kissed the top of his head gently. Eddie curled up into his side and they stayed like that for a while. They talked about school the next day and also talked about the others Losers. They talked about their past together which only made Richie want to cry. But he was strong. They held each other until Richie knew he had to go home.

Richie stopped at the window and looked over his shoulder at Eddie. Eddie looked at him with a curious gaze.

"You'd never stop loving me, right? No matter what?" Richie asked softly with an unsteady voice. Eddie, with shock filled eyes, shook his head quickly and walked over to Richie.

"Of course not. I love you and that will never change" Eddie cupped Richie's soft cheeks and kissed his lips gently. "I mean it"

"Okay," Richie spoke after the kiss and opened the window. "Thank you"

"For what?" Eddie walked to the window and watched as Richie found his footing and lowered himself out the window.

"For loving me" Richie smiled up at Eddie. "See you tomorrow morning" he winked and climbed down to the ground. Eddie smiled too and waved as Richie ran over to his bike and picked it up. Richie rode off and Eddie closed the window once he was out of sight.

Richie sighed heavily as he rode his bike home. He stopped outside of his house and threw his bike to the ground. He walked through the front door and looked around quietly. Some things were already packed. He bit his lip nervously and ran up to his room where he found empty boxes scattered across the floor. He glared at those boxes as he shut his door. He crawled into bed and laid face first into the pillows. He couldn't do this. His tears returned.


	6. Chapter 6

Richie sighed softly as he watched the time pass. He tapped a number two pencil gently against his notebook with each soft tick of the clock. His mind raced and his body couldn't stay still. The teacher's mouth was moving but Richie couldn't hear words, only a jumble of sounds.

The class was almost over. He was both excited and anxious. Excited to see his boyfriend but also anxious to see him at the same time. His short conversation with Beverly played over and over in his brain.

"You need to tell him" Beverly sighed as she ran her hand up and down Richie's back. "Sooner rather than later"

"I can't" Richie mumbled softly. "My words get stuck and I chicken out"

"He needs to know"

Richie snapped his head up when the bell finally rang. He stuffed his belongings into his backpack and scurried out the classroom door. Students rushed out of the scattered classrooms and ran through the halls. Richie dodged past kids as he hurried toward Eddie's classroom. He made a left down a side hall and squeezed past the older kids standing by their lockers. Finally, he saw the familiar adorable face he loved so much standing up ahead.

Eddie stood up against the lockers to avoid being trampled. When he saw Richie headed his way, he sighed with relief and waved to him. Richie waved back and walked over to him.

"Hey, good lookin', what's cookin'?" Richie had a smirk riding his face. Eddie rolled his eyes. 

"Shut up" he replied with a small smile peeking through. 

"Make me" Richie winked.

"You wish, but no" Eddie laughed. Richie chuckled and started down the hall. Eddie followed the taller boy closely. They stopped outside of the gym. Seconds later, Beverly, Ben, and Bill were on their way down the hall from the other end.

"How was math, losers?" Richie called out with a laugh to follow his words.

"G-Great" Bill muttered sarcastically. 

"We were given projects" Ben looked at Beverly with a slight smile and then over at Richie. 

"Let me guess, you called dibs on Beverly" Eddie teased with a grin. Ben smiled wider while Beverly nodded her head.

"And gu-guess who's ah-alone" Bill rolled his eyes and tucked his thumbs under the straps of his backpack.

"Aw, poor Billy" Richie laughed which made Bill give him a gentle push to the shoulder. 

"I'll just have Stan help. He must be on the same topic by now" Bill shrugged his shoulders. 

Beverly stared at Richie until the boy made eye contact with her. When he finally looked at her, she flashed her eyes toward Eddie then raised an eyebrow and looked back at Richie. He knew she was hinting at if he had given Eddie the news. He shook his head just barely and Beverly's expression dropped to disappointment.

Eddie noticed their stares and looked at the two with a questionable gaze. Richie threw his arm around Eddie and pulled him in close to break the tension and hopefully take his mind away from what just happened. Eddie shrugged it off and laid his head against Richie's shoulder gently.

"We better get to class" Beverly looked at Ben then back at Richie. "And you better do what you're supposed to" that was a demand, Richie knew it. Beverly and Ben walked down the hall to their next classes. Richie took his arm off Eddie's shoulder and turned to Bill.

"Well, here we go young lads! Another day of gym! Chop, chop!" Richie pulled the gym door open and walked through first. Eddie followed him and Bill was the last to enter. They walked toward the locker room where they shoved their bags into empty lockers that were beside the others.

Eddie took his fanny pack off and carefully set it in the locker too then shut it and placed a simple lock on the door. Only he knew the combination along with Bill and Richie. He was one of the very few who even used a lock. But, ever since that day where Henry had stolen his fanny pack and tossed it into the trash bin just to be a jerk during his class, Eddie had become more careful. 

"Same combination?" Richie always asked. The answer was always the same. Even though Eddie rarely needed his inhaler during gym class, Richie made sure he knew the combination. Just in case. Eddie nodded and followed Bill back out to the gym. 

The students stood around in a large circle. Bill, Eddie, and Richie stood beside each other as per usual. Their activity for the day? Dodgeball. Most of the kids cheered but Eddie gulped. His side still ached and he knew with his luck, that would be where he'd get hit. He sighed softly but a gentle squeeze on the shoulder from Richie pulled him back.

"Denbrough! Martin! Team captains. Denbrough, pick a side" Mr. Jarvis held up a shiny coin. 

"Heads" Bill called out as Mr. Jarvis tossed the coin up and caught it in his hand. He slapped it against the back of his hand and revealed the outcome. It was heads. Bill stood off to the side and pointed at Eddie. "Eddie" he grinned. Richie's jaw dropped as he looked at Bill then at Eddie with a mock offended expression. Eddie smirked and walked over to Bill. 

The other kid chose his pick. A redhead jock that loved sports more than anything else. Bill then chose Richie. The other captain grinned and rolled his eyes. The three boys knew the other team was mocking their team on the inside. They shrugged it off though.

The teams were picked after a few minutes. Bill's team was filled with underdogs and "losers" while the other team was all jocks and popular kids. The other team knew they had this game in the bag.

Each team walked to their sides of the floor. The jock team all had wide smirks and proud struts. The underdog team looked nervous and walked with their heads ducked low. Bill, Riche, and Eddie were the only brave-faced kids.

"Hey!" the team looked to Bill as his voiced hissed loudly to the rest. "We've got th-th-this. Wear yuh-your game fff-faces" the team looked at him with a dreadful glance. Richie rolled his eyes and clapped his hands together.

"You heard the captain!" Richie yelled. The kids all scattered on their side of the court. Richie then looked at Eddie and gave a sneaky wink. Eddie sighed heavily but offered a smile before looking across the court to the other side.

The whistle sounded and the rubber dodgeballs started shooting across the court from both sides. Only seconds passed before two kids were hit on the underdog team. They walked off the court with saddened faces.

The room was filled with the sounds of squeaking sneakers and loud grunts. Each team was slowly brought down. Bill was on fire as he dashed from side to side to dodge and hitting kid after kid from the jock team. Richie did best with catching the ball which was useful to get team members back. Eddie did best with avoiding the dodgeballs completely. He'd throw one occasionally but he'd often get overwhelmed. His luck was bound to run out though.

When Eddie jumped out of the way, he misjudged his landing. He crashed down to his knees, causing a scared grunt. Richie quickly turned his head to check on his boyfriend. It was the wrong move as a ball crashed into his side. He was out. Eddie looked up at Richie and groaned with a roll of his eyes.

"Idiot!" Eddie yelled. He forced himself up as Richie pouted and walked toward the bleachers. 

"Are you okay?" Richie called out and Eddie nodded. Eddie stumbled to the side to dodge again. The squeak of his sneakers was followed by an annoyed hiss as Bill was hit right in the stomach. Eddie's eyes widened as he watched Bill for a split second as he walked off the court. Eddie stared across to the other side at the single boy left. "C'mon Eds! You've got this!"

A ball flew toward his face which he ducked under. He picked up a ball by his feet and threw it across to the other side. The guy dodged easily and returned another ball toward Eddie. Eddie jumped to the side and stumbled. This was it. The guy quickly threw another one at the stumbling kid but Eddie was a quick thinker. He rolled out of the way and grabbed the ball that was rolling toward him. He tossed it over the line and watched as it bounced off the opponent's shin.

Eddie's eyes widened in shock. Richie's voice filled the room as he hooted his victory. He ran out onto the court and threw his arms around Eddie who was startled by his boyfriend's grip.

"You did it, Eds!" He laughed and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Good juh-job Eddie!" Bill cheered as he walked over. 

"That was such a cheap shot!" The opponent kid groaned and kicked a ball away from his feet.

"That's what I like to see, Kaspbrak!" The Mr. Jarvis called across the room. Eddie smiled and nodded. The rest of his team cheered for him and Richie hugged him tightly to his chest.

After Gym, the boys headed for the lunch room. Eddie walked to their usual table with his lunch from home and sat down. He waited for his friends to get through the busy lunch line.

"And he throws the ball across the court and hits the guy right in the shin! The shin!" Eddie heard Richie practically yell. He looked over his shoulder at Richie and Stan as they walked toward the table with their lunch. 

"Would you shut up? It wasn't that amazing" Eddie rolled his eyes and opened his lunch bag. Richie sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"It was fantastic! You are like a pro now!" Richie laughed and opened his chocolate milk. Stan chuckled.

"I would have loved to see that" Stan smiled and began to eat. Eddie rolled his eyes again. Their group soon was seated and all talking about one thing or another. It was hard to keep up with the changing conversations across the table. Somehow the conversations led to another and then another within short minutes. Within these conversations, the food slowly disappeared from everybody's trays.

"Did you do it yet?" Eddie heard Bev mumble to Richie. Those words were the only ones he could make out. He furrowed his brows and took the last bite of his sandwich as he tried to block everybody else out. 

"Shut up" Richie mumbled back to her with a heavy sigh.

"Do what?" Ben asked Beverly. Richie sighed and looked at Eddie to see if he had noticed. His expression spoke enough. Eddie felt his eyes and looked back at him.

"What?" Eddie asked with a gulp to finish his sentence. Richie rubbed his neck nervously and looked around the table as all eyes were on him. 

"Well, I guess now is a good time" Richie shot a glare at Beverly before he looked at Eddie again. He grabbed his tray and pulled Eddie up by the arm. He pulled him toward the end of the cafeteria where he dumped his tray then set it on the shelf.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked as he followed Richie toward a quieter area in the cafeteria. Richie stayed silent until he stopped by the windows and looked at Eddie.

"I have to tell you something" Richie looked at Eddie and swallowed hard. 

"What is it?" Eddie asked nervously. 

"Well, the other night. I went home after dropping you off at home and well, I was told some news from my parents" Richie's eyes slowly filled with pain. Eddie stayed silent. Richie sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"Just spit it out" Eddie muttered nervously. Richie looked down at him and took a deep breath.

"Eds, I'm moving" He talked with a shaky voice. The lump in his throat made him choke up but he spat out the words anyway. "I'm moving out of state"


	7. Chapter 7

"You're not leaving me" Eddie shouted. His voice was so loud that everybody in the cafeteria had gone silent. Richie's eyes widened as he looked around the room. "Who the fuck do your parents think they are?!" Richie quickly moved his own hand over Eddie's mouth. If he had been anybody else in the world, Eddie would drop with an asthma attack. Luckily though, Richie's germs were the only germs that Eddie actually enjoyed. Eddie's eyebrows lowered as he glared at Richie.

"Do you want the attention all on us, dear?" Richie muttered under uncomfortable laughs. Eddie shoved Richie's hand away and shook his head.

"You can't leave me, Richie" Eddie's voice has quieted and his eyes were filling with tears. Richie felt his chest tighten.

"I can't really change it, Eds" Richie reached his hand out to cup Eddie's cheek but Eddie shoved his hand away.

"Well figure out a damn way!" Eddie's glare only worsened and Richie's chest only continued to tighten. A painful lump filled Richie's throat and the tears stung his eyes.

"Don't you think I would if I could?" Richie frowned. "Eds, I don't want to go"

"Then fucking stay"

"Eddie" they stared at each other for a few seconds before Eddie shook his head and backed up.

"Fuck this" Eddie mumbled as he turned his back to Richie. Richie reached forward to grab his arm but pulled his hand back once Eddie pulled free roughly. He wanted to chase after him but a hand settling on his shoulder kept him back.

"Let him go" Beverly spoke gently. Richie watched Eddie push his way out of the cafeteria. His eyes stung, his heart hurt, and his stomach was twisted. Once Eddie was out of sight, Richie turned to Beverly and pulled her into a tight hug to hide his tears. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her hand up and down his back. "Shh, it'll be alright. He just needs to blow off steam"

"I don't want to leave him, Bev" Richie cried against her shoulder while she held him in a firm embrace.

"I know. He knows" as her words fell silent, the bell rang for lunch to end and classes to start back up. Richie tensed at the sound and Beverly sighed softly. "Come on, lets skip class"

"What?" Richie lifted his head to look at Beverly. His eyes were swollen and red while the rest of his face was as flushed as a ghost.

"You heard me" Beverly moved her hand into Richie's and tugged him toward the doors. She waved goodbye to their friends then dragged him out into the halls. She walked around the school until they found the side doors that were mainly there for emergencies and for the staff to take smoke breaks. She shoved the door open and lead the way outside.

As soon as they were outside, they walked off toward the wooded area. They took the path that led to the outer roads of Derry and walked slower as they were out of sight from the school. Richie stayed silent and stared down at his hands. Beverly had taken a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and placed one between her lips. She fished out her lighter and lit the cancer stick. Richie looked up at her once the strong smell awakened his numbing senses.

"Want one?" Beverly asked while only moving half of her mouth. She used the other side of her lips to hold her cigarette still between her lips while her hands were heading for her pocket. Richie shook his head no.

"Eddie would kill me before those would" he sighed. Beverly nodded and put the pack and lighter away. She took the cigarette away from her lips and held it between her fingers.

"He'll calm down soon enough" she reached her hand over to squeeze his shoulder. "Promise"

"Before or after I'm gone?" Richie pushed up his glasses and kicked a fallen branch out of the way as he walked.

"Before. He won't let you leave on bad terms"

"It'll be bad either way. Either he's angry or depressed and it's all my fault"

"You don't have control over what your parents decide for you. Telephones exist, Richie. Long-distance relationships do happen"

"I can't fucking hold him over a phone. I can't kiss his cute face or pick him up and carry him. What if I never get to kiss him again, Bev?"

"Eighteen isn't all that far away"

"By then, he could find another boy who's actually here for him" they both sighed and Beverly shook her head.

"He'd never leave you"

 

Eddie sat in the back of his class with his head held low. His mind felt like shattered glass while his body felt like it was on fire but numb at the same time. His painfilled eyes stared blankly at the teacher. He knew she was talking but words weren't registering in his brain. He didn't feel real, nothing felt real.

His eyes caught movement around the room as the other students opened their binders. He followed along without knowing what exactly it was that he was doing. His throat tightened when his eyes fell on the polaroid photo of him and Richie that he had taped there when school started. Tears threatened to escape from his eyes and he quickly blinked to battle them back.

He shook his head and closed the binder back up. He turned in his seat and pushed everything into his backpack. He felt eyes watching him but he was too numb to care. He zipped up his bag, stood up, and headed for the door.

"Eddie, where are you going?" The teacher's voice was barely noticeable. Eddie ignored her and continued on out the door. "Eddie get back here!" His footsteps were slow at first but as he turned the corner down the hall, they gradually got quicker and quicker until he reached the front doors. He pushed his way through the large glass doors and ignored the lady at the front desk calling out for him. He made it a few feet outside then dropped to his knees. The tears spilled over and poured down his cheeks. His throat clenched as a soft painful sound made its way up his throat and free from his lips. He dug his short nails into the palms of his hands as he hunched forward.

"He can't leave" he whimpered to himself with heavy unsteady breathing to follow. His hands fumbled with his fanny pack to get his inhaler out and use it.

 

Richie and Beverly sat on a fallen tree trunk. They sat in mostly silence with just the sound of chirping birds and soft saddened exhales. Richie stared at the ground, hunched over so that his elbows could rest against his thighs. He held his head in his hands and tried to slow down his brain.

"What if I run away?" He mumbled. His lanky body rocked slightly back and forth. "What if I just hide away until my parents either leave or decide to stay?" Beverly stayed silent. They both knew how stupid the ideas were. "I could live in Eddie's closet. His mom wouldn't even have to know" Richie ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. He lifted his head to stare ahead into the trees. "Or, maybe I could live with Stan. Yeah, his home life would take getting used to but I'd be alright"

"Richie" Beverly sighed. She moved her hand to his back.

"I know, Beverly!" He snapped then stared down at the ground. His cheeks were stained with tears and his glasses were hard to see through. "I just-.." he shook his head.

"Come on, let's go get some ice cream. I'll pay" Beverly stood up and dusted off the back of her jeans.

"I'm not hungry" Richie mumbled but Beverly pulled him up from the trunk anyway.

"Well, I am" she grabbed his hand and tugged him down the rest of the path. They walked deeper into town and to the local ice cream shop. Even though he wasn't hungry, Beverly bought two cones of ice cream. They sat down at a nearby picnic table. Beverly licked away at her ice cream while Richie stared at his own. "Eat it" Beverly lightly nudged his leg with her foot underneath the table. Richie sighed and gave it a few licks. It only took the sweet taste to hit his tongue before he was interested in the ice cream at all and started to genuinely eat it.

Time flew by after that. They watched as buses drove by along with the kids who walked home to pass. They watched for their group to pass. When Beverly noticed them, she stood up and ran over to meet up with them. Bill, Stan, Mike, and Ben all looked at Beverly and then over at Richie who had laid down on the seat to the picnic table.

"How's he doing?" Mike asked with a slight frown. Beverly sighed and shook her head.

"Well, not great but he could be worse. Where's Eddie?" She looked around at each of the boys.

"We haven't seen him" Ben frowned. "We thought maybe he was with you two working this out"

"We ditched earlier, Eddie would have never agreed to that" Beverly crossed her arms over her chest. "Did he go straight home or something?"

"We wouldn't know. We haven't seen him" Stan replied as he walked around Beverly and over toward Richie to comfort him. Beverly sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'll suh-stop by his house and see if he's ho-home" Bill muttered.

"I'll go with him" Mike wrapped his arm around Bill's shoulders.

"I'll stay here with you, Bev" Ben took a few steps to stand by Beverly's side. She gently rested her arm over his shoulder and nodded.

"Okay, let me know if you guys find him" Beverly looked at Bill and then at Mike. They nodded and walked off. Beverly and Ben walked over to the picnic table and sat together. Stan had sat on the bench with Richie and let him rest his head on his thigh. Stan gently played with Richie's hair while Richie stared off at nothing. The small group fell silent.

 

Bill and Mike walked down Eddie's street side by side. Worry filled their faces and their fidgeting fingers only played along with it.

"I hope he's alright" Mike sighed softly.

"M-Me too" Bill stared up ahead at the Kaspbrak home. They walked up to the front door and Bill knocked. After a few minutes, the door opened and Sonia stared down at them. "Hi, w-we were just wondering if Eh-Eddie is here?"

"He hasn't come home yet" Sonia shifted her weight from foot to foot slowly. She held onto the door and stared at the two boys. "He didn't walk with you?" Bill shook his head no. "Oh no, my Eddie shouldn't be out walking around town by himself!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Kaspbrak. We'll find him" Mike carefully pulled on Bill's arm to back away from the house.

"You make sure he comes straight home!" Sonia's voice had heightened and both boys just wanted to get out of there.

"You ha-have our word" Bill called out as they rushed away from the house. They only stopped when they were out of sight. They exchanged worry glances then looked around. "Wuh-Where would he be?"

"Guess we'll have to go searching" Mike patted Bill's shoulder then led the way back to the ice cream shop to gather up the rest of the group.


	8. Chapter 8

Bill and Mike hurried along the side of the road to get back to the rest of their friends. Richie's head lifted from Stan's lap to look at the two. His eye filled with worry as he didn't see Eddie with them.

"Is he home?" Richie asked as he sat up. Bill and Mike both shook their heads.

"We will need to look for him" Mike looked at the others before he focused on Richie. "We'll find him. He wouldn't have gone too far" he watched as Richie stood up and started walking off away from them. Stan stood up to follow him. "Bill and I will check the blocks around the school and library. Bev, Ben, you two wanna check the barrens?" Mike rested a hand on Bill's shoulder. 

"Got it" Beverly wrapped her arm around Ben's shoulders and pulled him along toward the barrens. Mike and Bill shared a glance before they walked off back toward the school. 

 

"That little shit is going to hear it when we find him" Richie snapped as he kicked a stone that sat in his path.

"Calm down, Trashmouth" Stan sighed. "He's probably clearing his head like you needed to"

"Well, he should have told someone where he was going!"

"You're right" Stan grabbed Richie's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "But getting angry won't help anything, now will it?" Richie sighed heavily.

"Guess not" he mumbled. His lips curled downward into a frown. He stayed silent for a few minutes while they continued their walk. But he broke the silence again. "I'm hurting him"

"Richie, nothing we say will change your mind about that but it's truly not your fault" 

"I just don't want to lose him" they both sighed. Richie stopped walking suddenly and Stan looked at him. 

"What?" Stan groaned barely.

"Hold on" Richie held up his pointer finger to make Stan wait. He turned away and ran off. Stan crossed his arms.

"Where are you going!" He called after him, but he didn't get a reply. So he waited. It felt like forever. Stan started to pace and grew more and more impatient. Luckily, he heard Richie's hurried footsteps coming up the road and looked in his direction. Richie was shoving his wallet back into his pants pocket. "What the hell was that about?"

"Shh" Richie waved his hand at Stan to silence him and walked ahead. Stan rolled his eyes and followed him. They checked a few odd spots where Richie and Eddie would hang out from time to time but Richie had a feeling he knew where his boyfriend was.

Richie slowed to a stop as they arrived at the quarry. He reached his hand out to the side to stop Stan in his tracks. There, sat in a curled up ball with his head on his knees, sat Eddie. His body shook in a rhythm that could only mean he was crying. Richie frowned and looked at Stan. Stan knew, nodded his head, and backed off. Richie sighed softly and looked at Eddie again. He slowly walked over.

"Eds?" Richie kept his voice soft. Eddie didn't lift his head. Instead, he wiped at his eyes and continued to stare out at the water. Richie sighed. "Eds, baby... I'm so sorry" Richie walked over and knelt beside Eddie. Eddie was silent for what felt like hours though it was just seconds.

"I can't see a life without you" Eddie's voice was filled with a shattered tone. Richie's eyes stung and his throat grew tighter. 

"I know" Richie slowly reached for Eddie's hand. "Me either" Eddie let Richie take his hand but still wouldn't look at him. Richie frowned and rubbed the back of Eddie's hand with his thumb. "Baby, we'll make this work"

"How, Richie? You're going to move and find better" the pain in his voice forced the tears to escape Richie's pain filled eyes.

"What?" Richie's eyebrows raised and his eyes turned to faucets. He moved his hands to cup Eddie's cheeks and gently forced him to look at him. Eddie's face was tinted red and his eyes were swollen. His lips quivered and his tears ran just as fast as Richie's. "Don't you fucking say that. How could you say that? Eddie, I'm in love with you" 

"I'm replaceable" Eddie tried to shake his head but Richie's hands kept his head in place. 

"Shut your damn mouth" Richie's voice broke and he struggled to focus on Eddie's face through the tears and his messy glasses. "I will never ever replace you. Do you fucking understand me? Eddie, you're the only one for me. I don't care how many miles are between us. My heart will only want and need you. And the day I turn eighteen, you bet your ass I'll be back climbing into your damn window" Eddie moved his arms around Richie and buried his face into his chest. He cried into his shirt and held him so tight that he could have broke. Richie held him tightly and his shaky hands gripped the back of his shirt. They sat like that for about twenty minutes before their tears ran dry.

Eddie was the first to pull away. He rubbed his eyes and sniffled. He looked at Richie's tear-stained shirt and sighed softly as he ran his fingers over the fabric.

"I'm sorry" Eddie whispered. Richie looked down at his shirt and chuckled barely.

"Don't be" he sniffled too and reached under his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Get up"

"What? Why?" Eddie looked up and watched Richie stand. Richie grabbed Eddie's hands and pulled him to his feet.

"Just... Shh" Richie took a deep breath and held Eddie's hands gently. He cleared his throat and pressed his lips together. Eddie's eyebrows danced with confusion while he watched. Richie raised his eyes from the ground to meet with Eddie's. "Eddie Kaspbrak-" Eddie's eyebrow raised with concern. "- I love you. I know that you know that deep down. But I want to prove to you just how much I am dedicated to you"

"Wait, are you actually proposing to me this time?" Eddie asked quickly, completely cutting Richie's speech off. 

"See, if I was, you just ruined the damn moment" Richie glared a little. Eddie's eyebrows raised and his lips formed a circle of shock. "But again, no... Close" Richie let go of one of Eddie's hands and lowered it to his pocket. He fished around for just a second. "Eddie, I love you" he repeated. He took his hand from his pocket with his fist closed. He gently squeezed Eddie's hand before he made eye contact again. "One day, I will marry you. But we're too young for that right now. So, instead.. I want to make a promise" Richie turned his hand over to reveal a mood ring band. "I promise to never give up on our relationship. I promise to always love you. Eddie, I promise you I will fight with every ounce in me to make this work"

Eddie's eyes stared down at the ring. His lips slowly curled into a smile and his cheeks started to turn red. 

"A promise ring" Eddie smiled wider and moved his eyes to look into Richie's. 

"Yeah.. I mean, cheaper. But, diamonds are fucking overrated. This is where it's at" Richie laughed softly. Eddie laughed too and shook his head. 

"Well? Put it on me" Eddie nudged him. Richie smirked and slid the mood ring onto Eddie's ring finger. 

"You may wanna switch fingers before you go home, but I just wanted to see it on your ring finger" they laughed together and hugged each other tightly. Suddenly, a bunch of footsteps rushed to them and arms were being thrown around the couple. Their friends had caught up with them.

"That was the grossest thing I've ever seen" Stan teased while he rested his head on Richie's shoulder and held him within the group hug.

"Shut up, that was beautiful. I'm so proud" Beverly cooed.

"Guys, come on" Richie laughed but didn't protest more than that. He loved group hugs and this one held more emotion than any other they had. "I love you guys"

"We love you too, Trashmouth" they all replied before they disbanded from the hug. They all held smiles on their faces as they stood around and chattered among themselves. They wanted to stay out longer but after Bill warned Eddie that his mother was looking for him, he knew he had to head home.

"I'll see you guys later" Eddie waved as he looked back at the five friends they were leaving behind. The others waved as Eddie and Richie walked back into the inner depths of town toward the Kaspbrak home. They held each other's hands firmly while Richie's thumb rubbed the back of Eddie's. As they walked up to Eddie's front door, Eddie slowly slid the mood ring from his left ring finger and put it on his right ring finger. He looked up into Richie's eyes and smiled at him.

"Could wear it on your middle finger to show you wanna fuck me" Richie wiggled his eyebrows like little waves. Eddie rolled his eyes and hit Richie right in the chest. They both laughed at his stupid joke though and Richie pulled Eddie into a hug. "God, I love you Eds"

"I love you too, even though I want to kick your ass every time you call me that" Eddie held Richie's body tightly as if this would be the last time he'd ever hold him. Richie knew these hugs would be the only type of hugs he'd be receiving until the day he moved. He didn't mind though.

"See you tomorrow, my cute little love muffin?" Richie teased with a smirk growing on his face. Eddie groaned and pulled away from Richie's hug.

"I hate you" he whined.

"Ha, no you don't" Richie stuck his tongue out at him. Eddie sighed heavily but he knew he was right.

"Yeah, I know" Eddie reached up to cup Richie's cheek softly. "I could never" he slowly leaned up to kiss Richie. Richie returned the kiss while his arms wrapped around the shorter boy's waist. Eddie's heart raced while Richie's stomach filled with butterflies. Fireworks shot off in their minds and the air around them felt like it was filled with magic. Eddie broke free from the kiss first though as reality settled back in. He had to get inside. "See you tomorrow" he confirmed. Richie nodded and let go of him.

"I love you" Richie called out in a hushed tone just as Eddie turned the knob. 

"I love you too" Eddie waved at him as he walked through the doorway and closed it behind him. Richie stared at the door with a loving smile glued to his face for a few minutes before his brain finally let his body move to leave toward his own home.

He hummed "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses gently to himself while he tapped his fingers on the front of his shirt. The song played in his mind and let him get lost in the world of music before he had to deal with his home life. His small jam session that only existed in his mind came to an end as soon as he set foot on his own lawn. 

He walked up to his front door and slowly walked inside. He heard his parents talking about the move in another room and rolled his eyes. He carefully shut the door behind him and tried to sneak off toward his room.

"Richie!" he stopped and listened to his mother's footsteps behind him. "Where have you been? We have to get this place packed up. That includes you helping around here"

"I have better things to do" Richie turned to look at his mom. "Like spend the last bit of time I have left with my friends"

"Richie, you'll make new friends" she shook her head. "This place needs to be packed up and cleaned up. Please, tomorrow, come right home"

"Mom I have plans with-"

"Richie" she cut him off. Richie glared at her and gripped the railing for the stairs firmly. "You'll be home. We're leaving soon" she walked closer and looked him in the eye. She carefully rested her hand on his shoulder. "This is hard for you. I know. But you need to suck it up a bit for us. We have a lot on our minds, we can't be worried about your stuff too" Richie laughed blankly and shook his head. He pulled away from his mother and walked up the stairs without saying another word. 

"Richard! Your mother wasn't done" his father called from the living room but he ignored him. He walked to his bedroom and shut the door. As soon as the door was closed, the tears broke free and Richie slid down the wood to the floor. He pulled his knees tight to his chest and buried his face. The tears poured from his eyes like waterfalls and part of him just wished he'd cry enough to drown in his tears.


	9. Chapter 9

Eddie spent all of the time he could with Richie before he had to leave. Every waking moment was to be spent with his boyfriend. Well, when Richie's parents weren't demanding him to be home. When he could, Richie planned little dates leading up to the day of his big move so that he could treat Eddie as much as he could. Their time together was almost perfect but both of them, deep down, knew the long run and it wasn't pretty.

The day before Richie's move, Richie didn't have to go to school. He still woke himself up early enough to go climb into Eddie's window and cuddled him until he woke up. When Eddie did wake, they kissed each other softly and held each other in silence. This was their last morning together. Richie ran his fingers gently through Eddie's hair while Eddie rested his head on Richie's chest. Eddie's chest felt tight and the sharp lump in his throat made it hard to breathe but he managed. Richie hated the silence but for the first time in a while, he really didn't have anything to say. Eddie could easily tell and he hated it.

Eddie wasn't going to school on Richie's last day in Derry. Instead, he hung out by the quarry with Richie and the other Losers who also agreed to skip so they could spend the last day together. They spent their day swimming, eating, and having the time of their lives. Beverly made sure to take as many pictures as she could with her Polaroid camera. The weather was perfect. The sun shined bright golden rays over the quarry and the giggling losers. Their hysterical laughs and splashing echoed within their rock structured surroundings.

When the seven kids grew tired of swimming, they laid out under the warm rays of the sun to dry off. Eddie laid his head on Richie's chest while the other losers laid around them. All eyes were directed up at the sky while they talked about everything and anything. 

"You know who's going to miss me most?" Richie smirked as he asked while he ran his fingers in a circular motion along Eddie's chest.

"Don't say it" Eddie mumbled.

"Your mom!" He called out. They all laughed, even Eddie after he was done rolling his eyes. Beverly sat up and smiled at the lovers. She grabbed her Polaroid camera and took a picture of them before she stood up. 

"Alright, we have to get a picture of us all" she tapped her index finger on the side of her camera. 

"You already took one! We look like hot muh-muh-messes now" Bill sat up and stared up at Beverly.

"Which is why I said what I said" Beverly smirked and motioned for everybody to stand. "Come on!" The seven kids all lifted themselves to their feet. Beverly carefully moved everybody close enough before the camera was set up and the first "hot mess" of a photo was taken. They all admired the pictures after enough were taken so they all could have one. 

Beverly walked away from the group once they were busy chatting again and kneeled by her bag. Tears formed in her eyes as she pulled out a scrapbook from her bag. She quickly added the photos to the empty pages and wrote captions with the date on the bottom of the photographs she had taken that day. She slowly closed the book and wiped her tears away. With a sigh, she stood to her feet and walked over to the group. 

"What's that?" Richie looked over at Beverly and spotted the book in her hands. She smiled at him and held it out toward him.

"A going away gift from us all" she told him. Richie stared at the book in her hands and read the cover. 'Once A Loser, Always a Loser' was neatly written out on the front. He could tell it was Stan's handwriting. He unwrapped his arms from Eddie's frame and took the scrapbook. He opened it and tears stung at his eyes instantly. 

The first page had photographs from years ago when The Losers Club was fairly new. His lip quivered as he gazed at the first image of the full group that had ever been taken. He then looked up at the group who stared back at him and the scrapbook.

"The book has a copy of every single photograph taken that we could find" Ben's eyes were filling with tears too as his pale cheeks raised with his smile.

"There's also messages from us" Mike added while his fingers ran over the page to show the scribbled words in the margins of the pages. Tears filled Mike's eyes.

"And every single note we had with you and kept that we passed in class. They're toward the back" Stan added while he rubbed his eyes. Richie looked through a few pages then shook his head and closed the book. He pulled Stan and Mike closer to start the group hug. He threw his arms around them and cried into their shoulders. The rest of the losers joined the hug and they all cried together. They spent the rest of their time flipping through the book and laughing at the old times.

They stayed out together to watch the sunset. They sat in a huddle at the edge of the cliff with their arms around each other. Their voices fell silent as the once yellow ball of light alternated to orange. The golden rays slowly dimmed as the sun started to disappear. Red, pink, and orange hues painted across the sky before eventually, everything was dark and the sunset was over.

The reluctant losers all stood to their feet and shared one last group hug before they disbanded for the night. Richie rode with Eddie to his place. His scrapbook was safe in his backpack. He stared at Eddie who was clearly trying to keep himself from breaking. Eddie got off his bike and dropped it to the ground without saying a word. Richie did the same and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Eds?" He talked gently. His voice cracked and he knew the tears were coming.

"Don't-.." Eddie couldn't even protest. His throat felt like a knot. His chest was on fire. Richie frowned and walked closer to his boyfriend and pulled him into a tight hug. Eddie hid his face against Richie's ugly floral shirt and cried. As soon as Richie heard Eddie's cries, he cried too. The tears burst through like water pouring from a broken dam. His jaw trembled and his chest ached. He held Eddie against his chest. He was terrified to let go because he knew it would be the last time.

"Eddie, I love you so much" he sobbed. "God, I love you"

"I love you too, Richie" Eddie muttered against his chest. "More than anything" Eddie forced himself to peek up at Richie. His foggy glasses hid his eyes but he watched as the droplets of tears ran down his reddened face. Eddie's hands clutched the back of Richie's shirt so tight that his knuckles turned white. "I'm going to miss you"

"I'm going to miss you too" Richie forced himself to let go so that he could wipe his eyes and fix his glasses. Eddie stayed attached to Richie still. "I'm going to call you as soon as we get our phone hooked up. I'm going to call you every single night"

"Please don't forget me" Eddie whispered. Richie shook his head and moved his hands to Eddie's cheeks. 

"I gave you that ring for a reason" he leaned down to press his lips against Eddie's trembling pair. "I could never forget my spaghetti boy" Eddie smiled weakly and kissed Richie in return. They lingered at each other's lips as long as they could before Richie knew he had to get heading home. He forced himself back away from Eddie and stared him in the eyes. "I have to go"

"I really don't know if I can let go" Eddie whined with pain riding his voice. Richie sighed and carefully tried to unravel himself from Eddie's arms. Eddie struggled to keep Richie still but failed to the stronger boy. "Don't go"

"Eds, you know I have to" Richie frowned and carefully cupped his cheeks again to give him one last kiss. He rested his forehead against him for a few seconds before pulling away. He slid his sweatshirt from his shoulders and wrapped it around Eddie. "I'll be back for you. I promise you that, Eddie Spaghetti. And when I come back, baby you won't lose me again" Richie lifted his bike from the ground and looked back at Eddie. "I promise"

"I believe you" Eddie swallowed hard and watched Richie get on his bike. "I love you, Richie. I love you so much"

"I love you too, Eddie Kaspbrak. Be safe and take care of yourself. You hear me?" Richie's eyes stung and his lungs felt weak. Eddie nodded. "Soon, spaghetti boy. Soon" Richie pedaled away from the Kaspbrak residence for the last time. Eddie watched him until he was out of sight. His heart felt empty. His stomach twisted. He cuddled up to the sweatshirt that was strong with Richie's scent. He could have given up right there. His life had just been ripped away from him. He knew that he wouldn't though. He had to be strong for Richie. He walked inside and went to his room where he cried himself to sleep inside of Richie's sweatshirt.


	10. Chapter 10

Eddie got little to no sleep that night. He spent most of his time staring out at the moon, hoping Richie was staring too. All he could do was wish Richie would poke his head up in view of the window and give him that wide grin. But he wouldn't, not again. 

Eddie woke to the sound of light tapping against his window. He slowly opened his tired swollen eyes and looked over at his window. Beverly stared back at him with a frown on her face. She motioned for him to go to the window. He shook his head and rolled over weakly to face the wall. A second of silence passed before Eddie heard his window open. He rolled his eyes a little and curled up more into Richie's sweatshirt and the blankets covering him.

"Eddie" Beverly whispered as she walked across the floor to the messy bed. "Come on, Eddie" she crawled onto the bed and sat beside him. 

"Go away" Eddie mumbled. His voice was weak.

"No" Beverly gently moved her fingers into his hair and played with the soft messy strands. "Time to get up"

"I'm not in the mood, Bev"

"None of us are but there are four boys outside wanting to make sure you're okay. Now let's get up out of bed and take on the day"

"Just tell them I'm fine" Eddie whispered.

"They won't believe me and you know it. So either I tell them to climb up here and get into bed with you or you make it easy on the rest of us and get up" at this point, Eddie knew he was defeated. Beverly knew how to get what she wanted. That has always been one of her specialties. He slowly sat up and looked around in a daze. 

"He's really gone, huh" his voice was as cold as ice.

"Yeah... yeah, he is" Beverly frowned and rubbed Eddie's back. Eddie sighed heavily and slowly got out of bed. He walked to his closet to find a change of clothes. Beverly stood up and walked to the window to hold a thumbs up for the boys to know she got him. Their faces filled with relief. 

Eddie brought his clothes to the bathroom and got changed. He brushed his teeth and rinsed with mouthwash. He hung Richie's sweatshirt up carefully in the closet then shut the closet door. He turned back to Beverly. 

"Meet you downstairs" he mumbled. Beverly nodded and climbed back out of the window. Eddie walked downstairs and told his mom he'd be with his friends for the day. She didn't look too pleased about it but let her son go anyway. He quickly took his medication before he walked outside to meet up with the other losers.

They all looked tired and worn out. Each pair of eyes had a red gloss over them. Even though they all shared the same saddened emotion, they put on a brave smile for one another. Eddie tried to force a smile but it only lasted a moment before it fell back down to rest. 

Beverly suggested they go to the quarry but the idea was quickly shot down. Ben suggested the park but nobody really wanted to be there either. Mike suggested they could go see a movie but again, the idea was shot down. It really wasn't the same without Richie.

That first day without the loud mouth was thought to be the hardest. But, as days passed, it seemed as if things grew more and more awkward. The losers stuck together every chance they had but it seemed boredom grew pretty fast. Most of the time, Eddie refused to hang out because he wanted to wait by the phone for Richie to call.

Days passed. The losers saw less and less of Eddie. More days passed and still no call from Richie. Eddie's obsession was quickly becoming unhealthy. He'd just sit at the table right beside his phone and wait. Sonia even tried to get him to go out, which was rare for her to do. He still refused. "I have to wait for Richie" he'd tell her.

What if he forgot his number? What if something bad happened? What if has already met another boy at his new school?

Eddie had too many questions and not enough answers. The other losers would call him and check up on him but his eagerness to get off the phone would always cut the conversations short. He needed to hear from Richie, even if it was just for a second.

A couple of weeks passed and Eddie was starting to lose hope. He slowly spent more time away from the phone but he still stayed at home just in case. On a quiet and boring Saturday evening, the phone rang. Eddie sighed heavily with thoughts that it was just Bill for the third time that day. He stood up and walked over to the phone. He picked it up. 

"Hello?" He muttered lightly. He messed with the zipper on his fanny pack.

"Hello, there spaghetti boy! It's me! Ya boy!" a loud familiar voice rang into Eddie's ear. Eddie's eyes widened and a smile grew on his face.

"Richie?" He asked, though it was obvious who it was.

"That's right!" Richie laughed on the other end. 

"Oh my god, it's so great to hear your voice. Why the hell did it take so long" Eddie asked sternly.

"Ahh, yeah sorry Eds. We had some trouble with getting the phone stuff situated and holy shit, changing schools is awkward as fuck"

"I bet.. How's the town? A lot different than here?"

"Oh you know, just a town, Eds. The arcade is further from my house here though and holy shit, it's filled up a lot more here. But hey! When we were packing, Ma found her old Polaroid. I'll take pictures and mail them to you so you can see!" 

"I'd love that" Eddie admitted and tears formed in his eyes but the smile stayed on his face. "What are the people like there?"

"Oh, well, pretty much the same. You have your jocks, your bullies, your preps, and your losers. But the losers here are so much more boring than we were back there at home"

"Well duh, our club was pretty cool for us being losers"

"How is everybody? I still need to call them too"

"Umm.. They're alright. I've been waiting for your call though so, I haven't been out much with them"

"Well, Eds, I'll call you every night around seven. How's that sound? So you don't have to wait around the phone. And you can call me too if you want to" Eddie grabbed a piece of paper and wrote Richie's number as he told it.

"Got it. So, got any new friends?" Eddie asked nervously.

"Eh, I've talked to a few kids but I'm pretty sure I annoy them"

"If they're worth being your friend, they'll grow to love how annoying you are"

"Oh, I know, Eds. I won't be changing for nobody" they laughed together and Eddie bit his lip. "You still look up at the moon every night?"

"Yeah, yeah I do" Eddie blushed and smiled wider. "Do you?"

"Hell yeah, there's a window right by my bed and I stare at that moon all night until I fall asleep. And I have some pretty hot dreams about my hot spaghetti boy"

"Stop" Eddie laughed "you're so gross"

"You love it" Richie chuckled and Eddie could just picture him wiggling his eyebrows stupidly.

"I do, I love everything about you" 

"And I love everything about you, Eds" they went quiet for a moment and listened to each other's breathing. Richie didn't want the call to end but he had other friends he promised to call. "Hey, Eds.. I gotta go. I have to call the others so they don't think I'm dead"

"I understand. You're calling me tomorrow though?"

"Seven pm, on the dot. Not a minute later" Richie paused "okay don't count on that, we both know how I lose track of time. But I promise it'll be between seven and eight. Okay?"

"Okay, I love you Trashmouth" Eddie smiled. "So much"

"And I love you Eddie Spaghetti. Stay cute" 

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight" Richie hung up. Eddie frowned a little and hung up the phone. He was relieved to hear from him but hated that he had to wait for 24hrs to pass before he could hear from him again. He looked at the small notepad with Richie's phone number on it and read it over and over to try to memorize it. He placed the notepad safely beside the telephone so his number wouldn't be lost and went upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed.

 

Richie called the rest of the group and had a short conversation with each. Every single loser sounded ecstatic to hear from him. It warmed his heart to know that his friends hadn't forgotten about him. 

Ben was interested in hearing about how big of a library Richie's school had which Richie couldn't answer but promised to find out. Mike was interested in the town layout and if it was a small or big town. He also wanted to hear about Richie's own house and if it was bigger or smaller than the one in Derry. It was a tad bit bigger but the way Richie sounded, it made it sound extravagantly bigger. 

Bill wanted to hear about how the kids acted at the school. He also asked if the bullies were as bad as the Bowers Gang. Luckily, Richie didn't know and really didn't care to find out. Stan asked how Richie was feeling about the big move and they talked a lot about how annoying the ride there was. But Richie made sure to tell him about all of the nature viewing spots there were during the ride. 

Beverly was the last person Richie called. Not because he didn't want to hear from her but because he knew she'd be the one to talk the most. She asked how he was doing, how his parents were, what the school was like, and if he enjoyed his classes. She asked if there were any cool hangout spots or clubs there. Richie didn't have too much information but filled her in on what he possibly could. They talked until Richie was told to get off the phone. He promised her they'd talk soon, gave her his number, and then hung up the phone.

Excitement filled his brain while a little hint of pain filled his heart. It felt amazing to talk to his buddies again but god, did it suck to have to hang up that phone. He missed them but really didn't have much time to start getting emotional. He had to shower and get some sleep for school the next day. 

His shower was quick compared to most days. He then laid in bed and stared out the window at the bright moon. He cuddled up to a shirt he had of Eddie's and looked at the open scrapbook that he placed by his bed. He stared at a picture of Eddie and smiled. 

"Goodnight Eds" he whispered before he took his glasses off and placed them on the nightstand beside him.

 

Eddie stared at the moon while cuddled into Richie's sweatshirt and laying under the covers. He could still smell Richie's scent from the sweatshirt and dreaded the day his smell would fade away. 

"Goodnight Richie" he whispered before he fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Richie did as he promised Eddie. His calls were daily around seven o'clock each night. Weeks passed with the same schedule. Richie would get up, go to school, go home to do his homework, waste time at the arcade or around town to get used to the layout, then get home around seven and get right on the phone.

Eddie would get up, go to school, do his homework with the others Losers then hang out with them, if allowed, until around 6:30. He'd then go home and wait by the phone for Richie to call.

Richie did send photographs in the mail to Eddie. Eddie saw the envelope with Richie's messy handwriting when he was getting the mail. He was quick but careful to open it. As he walked to the front door of his home, he flipped through the photos. The first photograph was of an arcade. It was bigger than the one in Derry and Richie was right, it was far more packed. 

The next few photographs were of the school and random spots around town. The school looked nicer than Derry's which made Eddie pretty jealous. There were a few photos of Richie's home and the rooms inside. Eddie's smile widened though as he found the photographs that Richie clearly took of himself. Even though Richie only moved a couple of months beforehand, Eddie could see clear changes in Richie's face and hair. His hair had grown and he looked even more gorgeous than Eddie remembered. He thought that was impossible. 

His smile stayed glued to his face as he stared at the photographs. He walked in through the front door and called out to let his mom know he was home. He handed her the mail that wasn't addressed to him. He then sat at the table and checked his watch. Almost Seven. 

 

More months passed. Richie's calls slowly faded from daily to every other day or so. Eddie tried to call him the days he didn't call but his parents would tell him Richie wasn't home or was busy. Eddie didn't complain though. He just talked to Richie when he could. Richie always made sure to tell him his reasoning for not calling. Eddie had to face the facts. Richie was making his new life at his new home. Richie's calls went from daily to every other day to 3-4 times a week. 3-4 times a week wasn't even guaranteed.

The losers noticed Eddie's attitude going downhill again over time but didn't know what to really say. Mike was the first to speak up one day when he walked Eddie home.

"Are you okay?" He looked at Eddie who was staring at the ground ahead of him. Eddie lifted his gaze to look at Mike's face and then dropped his gaze back to the ground.

"What? What do you mean?" Eddie mumbled.

"You're getting down again... Just when we thought you pulled yourself out of this mood" Mike gently rested his hand on Eddie's shoulder and watched as his face dropped.

"It's nothing" Eddie shrugged and ran his fingers through his soft hair.

"You can talk to me, Eddie. I know you're still missing Richie"

"He's calling less and less" Eddie looked at Mike and by his expression, knew that Mike was getting the same thing from Richie. "He's moving on from us"

"He would never" Mike squeezed Eddie's shoulder. "He's just busy"

"You don't know that" Eddie frowned.

"You and I both know that Richie loves us. He wouldn't just move on from the Losers Club and completely forget about us. Even if he has friends there, they won't replace us" they stopped walking once they reached Eddie's home. Eddie just nodded and gave Mike a quick hug.

"Thanks and thanks for walking me home. Be safe" Eddie barely got all of his words out before he reached the front door. Mike gave a nod and a wave before leaving toward his own home. 

 

Richie walked into the house and dropped his bag by the door. He walked over to the phone. Just as his hand grabbed it, he heard his father's angry voice call for him. He slowly got up, let go of the phone, and walked toward the living room. He knew what it was about as soon as he saw his report card in his father's hand.

"Richard Tozier. What is this?" Wentworth shook the paper toward Richie. Richie tried to smile.

"A report card" Richie regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. 

"Don't get smart with me. You are failing almost every damn class! Explain yourself"

"I'm trying" Richie frowned. "It's just hard!"

"You were doing just fine back in Derry. You may act stupid Richard but you're not this stupid!" He slammed the paper down on the coffee table and stood up from the couch. Richie winced at his father's words and choked back tears. "Your teacher called your mother today. You're handing in blank sheets! You're not trying"

"I am" Richie bit his lip. "I swear"

"Then what the hell is the excuse? Huh? Is it because you're spending all your damn time at that arcade? Or is it the phone calls?"

"No, Dad.. I just-"

"I don't want to hear it. No arcade. No T.V. No phone calls. Not until these damn grades are up! Do you hear me? You have responsibilities that you're neglecting"

"Dad that's unfair! I need to talk to my friends!"

"You should have thought about that before you gave up on school. I'm sorry but you need to learn. Go get ready for bed" his father walked out of the room. 

"Mom!" Richie looked at his mother who looked irritated with him too. "Come on! You can't let him do this!"

"Richie, you heard your father" she shook her head. "We warned you, sweetie. Nothing can come in the way of school"

"I need Eddie! I need my friends!" Richie teared up. His mother shook her head. 

"Then get those grades up or just show that you're trying. I'm sorry but your father is right" she stood up and left the room. Richie started crying and ran to his room where he slammed the door shut.

 

A few days passed before Eddie decided to call Richie. Nobody answered the phone. He tried again an hour later and that's when he was given the news by Richie's mother. Richie was grounded. Eddie sighed after he hung up the phone and got some homework done.

Richie tried harder in school but the disconnection between him and his friends only made it even harder. He'd find himself getting lost in his own mind and doodling on the side of his assignments. Classes weren't easy either. He did pretty much the same thing by doodling on his work at his desk. The teacher would call on him but he'd have no idea what was going on.

Teachers had meetings with his parents and they continued to try new things for him but his punishment continued which only kept things the same. It got to the point where Richie's parents would sit with him after dinner and have to keep him concentrated on the work. Richie really was trying. It just wasn't so easy.

Wentworth even took a few days off from work to spend time with Richie and try to get him back on track. They talked about the voices Richie used to be obsessed with doing but since the move, Richie had dropped the acts. All Richie wanted to talk about was Derry while Wentworth wanted him to move on. His father was guilty but there was nothing they could do.

After a month of Richie not having contact with Eddie, his parents decided to allow a phone call after a long discussion and persuasion from his mother. Richie couldn't get to the phone fast enough. He was left alone for privacy as he dialed Eddie's number as quick as he could.

The phone rang.

"Hello? Kaspbrak residence" It was Sonia. Richie rolled his eyes.

"Hi, is Eddie there?" Richie asked with the sweetest voice he could front.

"Is this Richard?" Sonia's voice instantly grew sour.

"Yes, it is" Richie responded in a gentle tone. His fingers messed with his curls. 

"He's not taking phone calls" She hung up. Richie just stared at the phone in silence before he quickly dialed his number again to call back. The phone rang and rang but no answer. He tried a few more times but it was the same thing. He groaned loudly and called Beverly instead.

"Hello?" Beverly answered.

"Bev! Is Eddie okay? His mom won't let me talk to him" Richie whined worriedly.

"Hey Richie, um...I don't know. I mean, he was at school today. He's just been extremely moody. Should I try going over?"

"No, you know how his mom is" they both sighed. 

"I'll talk to him at school tomorrow for you, Richie. But how have you been? Where have you been? We miss you" Beverly got her answers. Richie told her everything that's been going on. The phone call went on for just over an hour and Richie had ended up in tears. When Wentworth walked into the room, Richie knew it was time to hang up. He told Beverly to tell the others that he missed them before hanging up. 

"Dad, Eddie's mom didn't let me even talk to him" Richie sighed. "Can I call tomorrow? Please?" Wentworth thought about it for a minute.

"You do your homework first. Once it's done, you can call him" Richie smiled and stood up to hug his dad. "Now, go get ready for bed" Richie nodded and ran upstairs to his room.

 

Richie called the next day right after he had finished his homework. Again, Sonia refused and hung up the phone. He called Beverly to get the update.

"Please tell me he's okay" Richie whined slightly.

"Well, we talked a bit. Guess she's blaming you for his depression" Beverly said softly.

"Depression? Is he okay? If she'd let me talk to him-..."

"She thinks you're playing with his feelings or something stupid like that. I don't know but she thinks cutting you off completely will cure him. Along with medication"

"Yeah, add the kid on more damn pills" Richie rolled his eyes. "I hate her"

"Yeah, we all do. I'm sorry Richie"

"Not your fault Bev" 

 

Richie tried to write Eddie letters. He continued to call the house in hopes Eddie would beat Sonia to the phone. He told the other losers messages to give to Eddie. He never got anything in return. It had been months since he heard Eddie's voice. He was scared. A quick phone call with Bill only added to Richie's fear. Bill had told him that Eddie hadn't been to school in the past few weeks. 

Richie paced back and forth in his room after this news. It had almost been a year since his move at this point. A year since he had seen the love of his life and months since he had heard from him. He had to do something. He couldn't lose his spaghetti boy. He stared at the jar that had all of the money from his allowances that he had been able to save without the arcade. His brown eyes then looked over at his backpack. He got an idea. It was a risky one but an idea nonetheless. He walked over to the jar of money and dumped it out then started to count how much he had.

"Just enough" he mumbled to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

Guns N' Roses blasted through Richie's headphones as his eyes stared out the window of a traveling bus. An old tattered backpack filled with clothes, snacks, and a single water bottle sat between his feet. His teeth grazed over his cold quivering lip as his fingers drummed against his thigh to the beat that played into his ears. The old jean jacket that clung to his torso didn't even help keep the warmth in as it was so thin.

From an outsider's point of view, he looked like some homeless kid who got addicted to drugs early due to the deep bags under his eyes and sickly anxious looking expression. The way he jittered in his seat only added to the effect. His hair looked as though he had done nothing with it for months which was kind of the truth. Richie only washed it then let the curls do their own thing. He couldn't care less what others thought of him.

The bus driver looked back at this kid multiple times through the mirror above the windshield. His old face with scattered wrinkles and freckles would sink to a look of sadness as he looked the boy over. He'd avert his eyes back to the road and not speak a word.

Richie's stomach turned and his heart felt as heavy as a bag of bricks. His stop was coming up. This had been the ninth or tenth bus he'd been on within seven, maybe eight or even nine hours. He had lost count but he knew with every bus meant he was closer to his destination. That thought excited him but at the same time...it scared him.

The bus slowed to a stop and the doors swung open. The driver looked back at the boy again with a look of pure conflict. Richie simply raised to his feet, pulled the old backpack over his shoulder, and walked down the aisle.

"Hey kid" the driver spoke lightly as Richie neared the last step. The driver waved his hand to get the boy's attention. Richie turned back and raised his brow slightly, slowly moving his headphones back from his ears.

"Hm?" He barely muttered. 

"Take this" the driver took an umbrella from the side of his seat and held it out toward the kid. "You need it more than I do" it was only then Richie noticed that the rain was really coming down hard.

"Thanks" Richie mumbled as he took the umbrella. As he turned back around, the driver spoke up once again.

"May I ask where you're headed? You really don't look the reasonable age to be out this late, kid" the man sighed.

"Home" was all Richie stated as he stepped down from the bus and opened the umbrella. He fixed his headphones back onto his head as he turned back to the driver and nodded a goodbye before leading himself down the empty street. He noticed the bus take off and watched as the lights traveled down the street ahead. "Home" he repeated to himself more nervously. 

He walked down familiar streets and stared straight ahead. People passed him but they were nothing but a blur to him. He shivered slightly and hugged himself with one arm while the other was busy holding the umbrella over his head. His stomach was twisting itself into knots while his heart raced. Every breath he exhaled floated out into a puff of smoke. 

When he turned down onto the street, his feet stopped moving. His destination was in view and his breathing stopped too for just a moment. His body was shaking but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or from his own anxiety. 

He forced a step forward. One after another. He stared up at the familiar house and noticed all the lights were off. He closed the umbrella and rested it up against the wall of the house. He then started to climb. His mind still remembered where to grab and step on its own. There was no thinking. He just went. 

"Moment of truth" he whispered to himself. He gently pushed up on the glass window.

Eddie rolled over in his bed. His room had suddenly gotten colder. He pulled the blankets up over himself and curled up more. His eyes snapped open as he heard noise from just across his bedroom. He gulped and slowly peeked over the blankets. He stared at the darkness but didn't see anything. He shook his head and laid his head back down on his pillow.

Footsteps.

He quickly sat up in bed and reached over to turn on his lamp. As he did, he felt a cold hand bump his own. He opened his mouth to scream but felt another cold hand move over his mouth. He could see the outline of a person standing in front of him but it was too dark to see who. The man was too tall to be any of his friends.

So he thought.

"Shh" came a whisper. Eddie's eyebrows lowered and the bedside lamp was turned on. There, right in front of him, was a soaked and trembling Richie.

"R-Richie?" Eddie stuttered out almost silently. He stared in disbelief and his eyes stung with forming tears. Richie's hand slowly dropped from Eddie's mouth. A smile slowly grew on his face. "Oh... Oh my god" before Richie could even respond, Eddie threw his arms around Richie's neck and pressed his lips against the other boy's. Richie smiled wide under the kiss and threw his arms around Eddie's waist. Neither minded that Richie was absolutely soaked just from the climb to his window.

Their lips were forcing themselves against the other's quickly and barely gave them enough time for breaths. Their arms were wrapped so tightly that neither of the boys were going to break free even if they wanted to. They glued themselves into this embrace and there was no letting go. 

"How are you here? How did you get here?" Eddie whispered and cupped Richie's cheeks. Richie let go for a second to reach up and fix his foggy and smudged glasses.

"Took a couple busses" Richie mumbled before brushing his lips up against Eddie's. "God, I've missed you" Richie was in tears now.

"Your parents just let you travel here?" Eddie looked shocked. Richie stayed silent and Eddie knew instantly. "You ran away?!" His voice heightened. Richie had to cover his mouth again to keep him quiet.

"I needed to see you. They weren't going to let me" Richie whispered and only moved his hand when he was sure Eddie could be quiet.

"Are you insane? Oh my god, what if the cops have been called?" 

"Just shut up and kiss me" Richie pulled Eddie back into the kiss and tangled his fingers in the shorter boy's hair. Eddie kissed him deeply and they both cried silently. They only let go for Richie to change his clothes so that he could climb into bed with Eddie. As soon as Richie climbed onto the bed, Eddie tackled him down onto the mattress and curled up against him.

"I've missed you so, so much" Eddie whispered and laid his head on Richie's chest. "I wanted to call you. I really did"

"I know Eds. I know" Richie rubbed Eddie's cheek and kept him close. "Are you okay?"

"I'm way better now" Eddie stared up into Richie's eyes. "Your parents are going to be so angry, Richie"

"I had to come see you" Richie played with Eddie's hair and sighed softly. "I just couldn't handle it anymore" they stared into each other's eyes and fell silent. There was so much they wanted to say to each other but neither of the boys could come up with the right words. "I was just really scared that I was losing you, Eds"

"I've been scared of the same thing" Eddie admitted quietly. They frowned. "This is amazing Richie, but is shit going to go back to the way it was when you go home"

"We can't let it" Richie frowned.

"I can't disobey my mom. She watches that phone like a hawk now" 

"So call me from the other guy's homes. Eddie, I can't lose you. I can't" 

"I can tell, you traveled what...six hours to get here?"

"More around seven I think. Between each bus stop and all" Richie was bragging. Eddie could hear the tone in his voice. He rolled his eyes but smiled.

"I can't even believe you'd travel that far for me"

"I'd do anything for you, Eddie Spaghetti" Richie leaned down and pressed his lips against Eddie's forehead. They stayed awake for the rest of the early morning. They spent the morning curled up in each other's arms. The shared body heat underneath the blankets kept them warm along with the warm hearts that finally were reunited.

 

Richie feared calling his parents later that day. Luckily, Sonia left to go grocery shopping so they had a window to call. Richie just stared at the phone with a worried frown. Eddie sighed heavily.

"You have to call" Eddie stared at Richie. Richie rolled his eyes and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I can just go home. They wouldn't notice," Richie mumbled softly.

"They wouldn't notice? Richie, you've been gone for more than ten hours!" Eddie grabbed the phone and dialed his number for him. "I'm right here. You'll be okay"

"No I won't be," he mumbled. "As soon as they answer, I'll be forced to go home" Richie took the phone and rubbed the back of his neck. Eddie frowned and hugged Richie's side.

"Hello?" Richie listened to the sound of his mother's voice and his jaw trembled.

"Hey mom" Richie muttered gently.

"Richie? Oh my god, Richie where the hell are you?" her voice had a mixture of relief and anger filling every word spoken. 

"I'm uh...I'm in Derry" Richie gulped and tightened his arm around Eddie's frame. "I'm at Eddie's house"

"Excuse me?" there was silence and then Wentworth's voice in the background. "Hold on Wentworth. Richie, this isn't a time to joke"

"I'm not joking ma" Richie said. "Eddie say hi" Richie moved the phone to Eddie's face. Eddie looked at him nervously.

"Um.. Hi Mrs. Tozier" Eddie mumbled. Richie took the phone back and lifted it to his ear. 

"See?"

"Richard Tozier, this is an all time low for you! How the hell did you get there?" 

"Ma, I took a few busses while you guys were asleep. Look, I'm sorry. But I needed to see-"

"There are no buts in this conversation. Richie, do you know how reckless that was for you to do? Your father and I have been worried sick about you since we woke up this morning and found your bed empty"

"Ma, you wouldn't understand"

"Maybe I wouldn't. But you are a child, we are the parents" 

Eddie watched Richie's facial expressions as he talked on the phone. The twisted set of emotions filling his saddened face hurt Eddie's heart. Eddie's arms tightened around Richie's waist and he gently kissed Richie's shoulder to try to cheer him up.

After what seemed like forever to Eddie, Richie hung up and sighed heavily. Eddie tilted his head back to look up at Richie. Richie looked down at Eddie and gently rubbed his side.

"Well, they're coming to get me. I'm so dead" Richie lowered himself into a chair and frowned deeply. 

"They'll forgive you eventually" Eddie stood in front of Richie and carefully played with his hair. "I promise"

"I don't want to go back" Richie mumbled and leaned his head forward to rest it against Eddie's chest.

"I know" Eddie held Richie carefully. "We have at least six hours. How about we get the club rounded up? Maybe it'll help your mood to see everybody again?"

"Fuck yeah!" Richie pulled away and stood up. Eddie laughed and bumped Richie with his hip to move him out of the way so that he could grab a pen and piece of paper. While Eddie wrote a quick note for his mom, Richie ran to get his shoes. Eddie then called up each of the losers and asked them to hang out. He didn't mention Richie though. Each loser agreed.

Richie and Eddie walked down the still damp street from the storm that morning. Richie had his arm tight around Eddie's shoulders. Richie hadn't brought a sweatshirt with him, so he had to borrow one of Eddie's since he wouldn't let him leave without one. The red hoodie was a little tighter than he liked but it surprisingly fit well enough.

They walked to the park together. Once there, Eddie instructed Richie to hide. There weren't many hiding spots since they didn't know what angle the losers would be showing up from. So, Richie walked toward some bushes.

"I got this, Eds" Richie held up his thumb and got down on his hands and knees. The damp grass clung to his jeans and hands but he didn't care. He carefully crawled into the bushes, grunting and whining every time a branch smacked him in the face. Eddie almost fell over from laughing.

"You're an idiot" Eddie grinned and sat on a bench close by. What seemed like hours to Richie, but was only minutes, each loser showed up to the spot. They all sat together and started chatting away as if it was just any other hangout. Eddie glanced over to the bushes to signal for Richie to come out once everybody was distracted.

Richie carefully crawled back out of the bushes. His hair got tangled in some branches which made him wince and have to take a minute to get free. Somehow, the rustling bushes didn't catch the losers' attention. Richie slowly stood and ran over to the losers, hopping over the bench to land beside Eddie.

"What's up, you fuckin' los-" Richie yelled, but his voice cut off when his hand slipped from the back of the bench and his body went tumbling over it. He grunted loudly as his body collided with the ground. His jeans and hands were still dirty from crawling into the bushes in the first place. Eddie laughed hard and grabbed his stomach while the others just stared in confusion.

"Richie?!" Beverly gasped after a second of trying to register everything happening. She stood up and ran over to him as he was standing up. Just as he was about to be to his feet, she tackled him to the ground in a hug. The other losers joined the pile to hug him too. Eddie climbed onto the top of the pile. 

"How are y-you here, Rich?" Bill asked once the losers gave room for everybody to sit up.

"Lot of bus rides. My parents are on their way to get me though. So, probably going to die. But it's so worth it" Richie smiled, looking around at his friends. "I've missed you guys"

"We've missed you too" Mike rested a hand on Richie's shoulder. 

"Most of us" Stan joked. "You're insane for riding buses here without your parents even knowing"

"So nothing's changed" Ben added which made everybody laugh harder. They all huddled together on the damp ground. They had a group cuddle session going that nobody wanted to leave. Everybody had a headrest on someone else's shoulder or head. Everybody had at least one pair of arms wrapped around them. It felt like a summer day from the mixture of their warm bodies surrounding each other.

Six hours went by far too quickly for the seven kids. They ate lunch together and spent the day mostly catching up on everything they've missed about each other. But, when the familiar car that Richie's parents owned pulled up, the fun was about to end. 

Richie's mother was first to get out of the car. She rushed over to Richie and pulled him away from his friends to wrap her arms around her son and hug him tightly. Richie, shocked, hugged her back and looked over at his friends.

"You're not strangling me?" Richie asked. He was half joking.

"Not yet" his mother joked with tears in her eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and sighed heavily. "I can't believe you, Richie" 

"Not many people can" Richie laughed which got his friends to laughing too. His father walked over a few seconds after and gave him a hug too.

"We have a lot of talking to do" he told his son. He squeezed Richie's shoulder and frowned.

"Like my punishment?" Richie sighed heavily. Wentworth just waved the idea away since all of his friends were staring.

"It's time to say goodbye, kid" He nudged Richie over toward his friends. Richie's throat tightened. He went down the line to give everybody a hug and a formal goodbye. Every hug added tears to Richie's eyes which caused his glasses to smudge. By the time he got to Eddie, he was a mess.

"I'm sorry, Eds" he sniffled. Eddie shook his head and reached for Richie's glasses. He carefully took them off his face and cleaned the lenses before replacing them.

"I'm going to call you. Some way. I promise" Eddie hugged him tightly. Richie returned the hug. Richie held Eddie close and sighed heavily. He leaned down and kissed the shorter boy deeply. His parents looked in shock but didn't say a word. They definitely could tell but to see it was just something extra.

Richie walked to his parent's car and got into the backseat. He waved through the window as the car pulled away. Richie curled up in his seat and cried silently as he watched his home pass by in a blurring scene.

"Richie" his mother turned in her seat to look back at him. "We're sorry" Richie shrugged and avoided eye contact. "Honey, we didn't make this move to hurt you or to tear you away from your friends. We did this for the family" she sighed softly. Richie stayed silent.

"Look, son, we have to make sacrifices" his father glanced into the rearview mirror and then at the road. "Including your mother and myself" Richie slowly looked up to the front seat at his parents. 

"You finish this school year at this new place with good grades. You promise us you will try hard and actually prove it by doing it, we'll make this six-hour drive for you on your vacations so you can spend time with your friends"

"Seriously?" Richie sat up and smiled slightly. 

"Seriously" his mother smiled. Richie's smile widened. "Hey, you never know, maybe moving back to Derry is a possibility in the future" she added with a glance toward her husband. Richie teared up but with happier tears.

"Thank you mom and dad" Richie talked softly.

"Oh but don't think you're not getting punished for this stunt" his father added. Richie rolled his eyes but grinned.

"I guess that's fair captain" Richie teased with a pirate voice. His father chuckled at him and drove the small family home.

Once home, Richie had a lot of time to plan his summer vacation with his friends. He was grounded for a whole month. He was given one exception though. He can call his friends twice a week. He could live with that.

Richie continued to send pictures to his friends through the mail along with the phone calls. Finally, Sonia allowed Eddie to receive calls from Richie after he stood up to her. It wasn't all perfect but it was manageable to live with.

And that first summer where everybody reunited, well...that's a whole different story.


End file.
